Public toilets for third gender in Bhubaneswar soon
BHUBANESWAR: The Smart City will soon have a community toilet for transgenders. The first such toilet for the third gender to be constructed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) will come up at Biju Patnaik Park, formerly known as Forest Park.
While the proposal and estimate for the project have been approved, the work will start after finalisation of tender to be floated next week.
Once constructed, Odisha would be the fifth State in the country to have toilets for this section of the society. Earlier, Punjab University, Mysore Municipal Corporation, Bhopal Municipal Corporation and Kochi Metro had built such toilets for the third gender.
Bhubaneswar will, however, be the third City to have toilet facilities for the transgenders after Mysore and Bhopal where separate toilet complexes have been constructed by the respective urban local bodies. Though Bhopal Municipal Corporation has a changing cum make-up room for the users apart from toilet, Bhubaneswar will have only a gender-neutral toilet facility.
“The toilet would be built as per specifications laid by Public Works Department and Public Health Engineering Department. While `3.6 lakh has been estimated for civil works, around `1 lakh would be spent for electrical fittings and other accessories. Once the work order is issued, the facility would be available for use within a month’s time,” said a BDA official.
Many from the community have welcomed the move of the BDA. They said the gender-neutral toilets can be reassuring for some transgender men and women who fear discrimination in binary toilets, especially following the backlash towards the trans community.
“It would be of great help since we have been facing untold difficulties in the absence of earmarked community toilets for us. At least three more such facilities should come up in market areas in the City. The separate toilets would protect us from violence as sometimes we do not feel safe to use male toilets,” said a transgender.
BHUBANESWAR: The Smart City will soon have a community toilet for transgenders. The first such toilet for the third gender to be constructed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) will come up at Biju Patnaik Park, formerly known as Forest Park.
While the proposal and estimate for the project have been approved, the work will start after finalisation of tender to be floated next week.
Once constructed, Odisha would be the fifth State in the country to have toilets for this section of the society. Earlier, Punjab University, Mysore Municipal Corporation, Bhopal Municipal Corporation and Kochi Metro had built such toilets for the third gender.
Bhubaneswar will, however, be the third City to have toilet facilities for the transgenders after Mysore and Bhopal where separate toilet complexes have been constructed by the respective urban local bodies. Though Bhopal Municipal Corporation has a changing cum make-up room for the users apart from toilet, Bhubaneswar will have only a gender-neutral toilet facility.
“The toilet would be built as per specifications laid by Public Works Department and Public Health Engineering Department. While `3.6 lakh has been estimated for civil works, around `1 lakh would be spent for electrical fittings and other accessories. Once the work order is issued, the facility would be available for use within a month’s time,” said a BDA official.
Many from the community have welcomed the move of the BDA. They said the gender-neutral toilets can be reassuring for some transgender men and women who fear discrimination in binary toilets, especially following the backlash towards the trans community.
“It would be of great help since we have been facing untold difficulties in the absence of earmarked community toilets for us. At least three more such facilities should come up in market areas in the City. The separate toilets would protect us from violence as sometimes we do not feel safe to use male toilets,” said a transgender.
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