Moving ahead with its project of making Phagwara the first open-defecation-free city of Punjab, the local municipal Corporation constructed its second eco-friendly ‘Namma’ public toilet at Hoshiarpur chowk under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan.
Local MLA Som Parkash inaugurated the public toilet this evening. The first was inaugurated by him in Hargobindnagar market on July 29.
Addressing a public function, Parkash, accompanied by Mayor Arun Khosla said one more Namma toilet and six Sulabh-run public toilets will be constructed in Phagwara to eradicate the undignified practice of open defecation and making it the first complete open-defecation-free city of Punjab.
A sum of Rs 1.13 crore would be spent on these, he said.
Parkash claimed that Namma toilets are easy to construct and are developed in such a way that natural light can be used to maximum extent. The toilets have separate units for differently-abled persons and ladies.
Mayor Khosla, who had recently visited Tamil Nadu with his team to study the facility, said that its design, that includes natural ventilation and solar panels, was used for the first time in Punjab and Phagwara has become the first city in the State to put it to use.
The fittings used are resistant to vandalism and tampering, and the corners and edges inside the toilets are rounded to stop dirt from collecting, he said.