What's New?

NYC Public Toilets

Public Toilets 
for the Disabled
 

"...I know that the subject is unusual and rather
   difficult to deal with, but false modesty should not
   prevent people from considering matters that could
   jeopardize the health and well-being of thousands of
   individuals who crowd into our towns each day.

   The degree of civilization achieved by a people can
   well be gauged by its domestic and toilet facilities.
   Although I am well aware that my proposal may
   seem disconcerting, I am convinced that the day
   will come when 'waiting areas' outfitted with every
   comfort will be built in places where lots of people
   meet.

   Just think about one of these service areas complete
   with everything: a respectful attendant (under
   penalty of dismissal) would be obliged to wipe each
   toilet seat with a damp cloth after use. The same
   attendant would offer a clean towel, a comb and
   brush to anyone who asked..." 

These were the ideals voiced in England in 1858 by those who wished for 'waiting areas' in English towns.
 

Public Toilets and People

In each society from time to time the government felt the need to provide public toilet facilities to those who could not afford to have individual toilets. Public toilets have a long history in a number of countries and most of which were constructed and managed by municipalities. But there was also pervasive disgust with their poor maintenance, vandalism and lack of basic facilities. 
 

The Public Toilets (Latrina) of Magnesia 4th - 6th Century AD	The building has an entrance hall with a pool in the main room. There are two fountains and channels carrying fresh water for washing, the rows of toilet seats and below them drainage channels which took the waste out of the building. It could accomodate 30-32 people at a time. It was excavated in 1993-94 and partially restored in 1995.

The Mughal King Jehangir built a public toilet at Alwar, 120 kms away from Delhi for use of 100 families at a time in 1556 AD. Not much documentary evidence exists on the quality of its maintenance but one can well visualise that with rudimentary technology and with government to manage the O&M functions, it like others must be in very unsatisfactory condition. As hygienic conditions in public toilets were bad, people preferred to do open defecation. This was true in most of the countries.

In 1872 the municipalities in France asked private companies to manage public toilets for a lease period of 20 years. These private companies were also offering even amounts to the government as they felt confident to recover the same through user charges. Ground floor owners were also being requested to construct latrines for use of the passersby. Previously known as Palais Royal Hotel in Paris, the owners started charging a monthly fee from diners. Incidentally condoms were also sold as part of the facilities.

In India, when Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak founded Sulabh International in 1970 in a small village in Patna, people laughed at him when he proposed to introduce pay-and-use toilets. But his approach has succeeded and today 10 million people use Sulabh facilities every day. Most of the public toilets are being provided for construction and maintainance on a 30 year basis at no charge to the State. 

One of the many public "Sulabh Toilets" spread all across India 

Law and Citizens

In order to improve sanitary conditions, Governments in various countries also resorted to legal measures. Dirt by definition was considered as disorder, because it disrupts the order of maintaining the environment.

In 1519 the provincial government of Normandy in France made provision of toilets compulsory in each house. The French government also passed a parliamentary decree to make cesspools in each house compulsory. Again a similar attempt was made in 1539. In Bordeaux, France, the government made construction of cesspools compulsory. It was tried again in 1668 when the Lieutenant of Police made construction of toilets compulsory. 

In England the first sanitation law was passed in 1848.