It’s all loos talk on public amenities

All the toilets in restaurants and hotels in south Delhi will now be available to be used by the general public, at the nominal charge of Rs 5, courtesy the city authorities.

This may just turn out to be the city’s biggest public nuisance — with a capital Pee. After all, providing public conveniences is the job of the city, not the responsibility of shops, restaurants and hotels. Nor of ordinary residents either.

Given the sheer volumes of people and the dismal ratio of toilets, there is every possibility that they may become those establishments’ major revenue earners. The effect that lines for the loo will have on their other regular customers needs consideration.

A recent report about Air India planes routinely making unscheduled stops on long-haul flights due to clogged lavatories due to everything from plastic cups to airline pyjamas, also throws an unflattering light on Indian toilet etiquette. While the prospect of this happening to toilets on terra firma cannot be ruled out, no one should be denied such restaurant and hotel facilities in emergencies.