Pune is facing a shortage of public sanitation facilities as the population of the city is swelling. In a situation like this, a public toilet near Mhatre Bridge has not been opened for more than two years despite the facility being fully constructed. Activists have alleged financial irregularities in the project and flagged administration negligence.

The facility was built by the Solid Waste Management Department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) two years ago and is spread over 360 square feet. It was constructed at a cost of ₹26.5 lakh. The setting of the toilet blocks cost ₹7,300 per square foot.

The activists claim that earlier the cost of the project was estimated at ₹10,000 per square foot. The contractor was awarded the work after quoting an amount below 25 per cent of the estimated rate.

Vivek Velankar, an activist, has demanded an immediate inquiry into the project. He has called for action against those responsible for allegedly inflating the estimate and causing financial loss to the civic body. He has also urged authorities to carry out necessary repairs and open the facility for public use without further delay.

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"Even with generous calculations, the construction cost should not have exceeded ₹2,500 per square foot, including a 25 per cent contractor margin. The basic finishing work, such as plastering and painting on the back side of the structure, remains incomplete. The project was completed in March 2024, but has not been opened to the public since," said Velankar.

"Six months ago, PMC officials even decided to construct an additional floor to accommodate a caretaker, which incurred an additional expense of nearly ₹10 lakh. Despite this extension, the toilet remains non-operational," added Velankar.

Raj Dhebe, a resident of Warje, said, "Despite spending ₹26.5 lakh for constructing the public toilet, the facility remains locked for almost two years and is not made operational for public use. We are paying taxes, so shouldn't we get basic facilities? People complain about men urinating in public on the roadside, but do they have options?"

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Rajlakshmi Naidu, a resident of Karve Nagar, said, "It's very problematic for elderly people to not have enough toilets in the city, even if there are, their conditions are so bad that they can't be used. It's a huge problem, my daughter works in an IT company and has to travel almost 25km each way from home to office, but it's strange she doesn't find any toilets in between and has even developed UTI. So this issue should be addressed at the earliest, and the toilets should be made open for public use. The already existing toilets should be cleaned properly, and they should have caretakers to maintain the facility."

Jayshree Awatade, another resident of Karve Nagar, said, "They have spent so much money, but still the finishing works remain a little. The most concerning thing is the disposal of sewage from the facility. The wastewater will be released directly into the nearby water body without treating the sewage water. The matter will have serious environmental implications."

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Meanwhile, Ajay Khamkar, Junior engineer, PMC, said, "The toilets will be made available in two days; we are doing the legal formalities. We have to appoint a caretaker, and that is also in process. The sewage pipes will not release the sewage water directly into the river body; we have connected it to pass through nalas."