Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday staged a protest and cleanliness drive outside the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to highlight the deplorable condition of public toilets in Pune. Despite Pune's smart city status, many e-toilets funded by former MP Anil Shirole remain closed, exacerbating unsanitary conditions and health risks. AAP activists claimed that they were prevented from meeting officials by PMC security guards and protested by spilling Phenyl on the road in front of the civic body.
The party warned that unless PMC promptly reopens the closed toilets and ensures their cleanliness, more vigorous protests will ensue. Women face disproportionate challenges due to limited toilet availability, underscoring the need for adequate health facilities, the party emphasized.
"Corporation officials should stop pampering contractors. All the toilets in Pune city should be cleaned as soon as possible and kept clean regularly," said Dhananjay Benkar, AAP City President, Pune.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party has also committed corruption in the Swachta Griha Safai Tender. Corruption in essential facilities for women has crossed all levels. The sanitation cleaning tender should be investigated, action should be taken against the culprits, and the sanitation facilities should be regularly cleaned and repaired. Otherwise, the agitation will be carried out in a violent manner to attract the attention of the authorities," said AAP Pune City President, Sudarshan Jagdale.
"Simple, easy, and clean public toilets are needed by Pune residents rather than cultivating a showy white elephant called e-toilet, aspirational toilet. Adequate safe toilets in busy areas are essential for women's health," added Mukund Kirdat, Spokesperson, AAP.
Satish Yadav, Akshay Shinde, Amit Maske, Kiran Kadre, Adv. Amol Kale, Nilesh Wanjale, Niranjan Adagale, Kiran Kamble, Umesh Bagde, Prashant Kamble, Surekha Bhosle, Shital Kandelkar, Suraj Sonwane, Ganesh Tharkude, Shivram Thombre, Naushad Ansari, Nikhil Khandare, Avinash Kendale, Sunil Savdi, Avinash Bhakre, Milind Oval, Adv. Gunaji More, Kumar Dhongde, Ajinkya Shedge, Sandeep Suryavanshi, Avinash Bhakre, and other activists and officials were present.
