Kolkata: Ahead of Durga Puja, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has procured 28 additional bio-toilets that will be installed outside puja pandals expected to draw huge crowds during the festival.The structures have been procured at a cost of Rs 16 lakh under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The civic body already had 25 bio-toilets in its possession, but officials said the number was grossly inadequate to meet the demand during the festive season.“We had 25 bio-toilets with us, but the numbers were grossly inadequate. We have procured 28 more, which will be pressed into service from puja. Usually, bio-toilets are distributed among puja committees that witness extremely high footfall,” said a KMC official.With the addition of the new units, the civic body will have 53 bio-toilets at its disposal this puja. “With 53 bio-toilets, the situation will be a little better this year,” said the official. As pandal-hopping begins early during the festival, KMC plans to hand over the structures to puja committees within the next few days so that they are available for use from Chaturthi.Till last year, the bio-toilets were allotted to some of the biggest crowd-pullers, including Chetla Agrani and Suruchi Sangha. “We will be handing over the structures to the same pujas. These pujas are expected to remain among the top draws this year too, though the key person or face behind some of the pujas has changed with the change in power,” said the official.Officials, however, admitted that several of the older bio-toilets are not in good condition and will require repairs after puja. According to KMC sources, bio-toilets use a bio-digester system in which human waste is broken down by bacteria through anaerobic digestion. The waste enters an underground digester tank, where microorganisms decompose the faecal matter into simpler substances.However, the civic body’s move to increase the number of bio-toilets has not reduced concerns among Kolkatans, many of whom said they had unpleasant experiences using the facilities in the past. Users have complained of overflowing toilets and delays in cleaning, particularly during periods of heavy footfall.“The bio-toilets are connected to water tankers, and we have to fill the tankers frequently because of high usage. We hire agencies to clean the bio-toilets,” said an official.
