HYDERABAD: MCH does a `Munnabhai'? If Gandhiji's persona helped in making the Bollywood's sequel a huge hit, the corporation is following suit with the hope of cleaning up its sanitation act and also prevent people from urinating in the public by providing more conveniences.

Some 137 new public conveniences are to be thrown open to the citizens on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. While a majority of them have been built (80-odd) by private organisations on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis under Fund Your City scheme, its engineering wing built the rest.

Green hoarding

Fifty more toilets are being planned and other than these, there are 41 public conveniences run by Sulabh International. The corporation wants to make use of Gandhiji's emphasis on sanitation and cleanliness to take its latest campaign closer to the public, according to Commissioner Sanjay Jaju.

"We have been planning this campaign even before the movie got released," insists Mr. Jaju. Already a teaser green hoarding has come up and more are in offing at key junctions with the outline sketch of the Father of Nation extolling the virtues of proper sanitation. The Commissioner says all the new toilets will have standardised designs with uniform signages, adequate lighting, water, sewer connection and a cleaning schedule board for proper maintenance. Boards will be put up at different locations indicating the distance of these public conveniences.

A vast majority of these toilets will have a ladies section and some with bath facility, too. However, the effort to have a round-the-clock toilets in busy places like Secunderabad railway station, Mahatama Gandhi Bus Terminus at Imliban, RTC crossroads, etc., has not taken off due to police objections.

Generally, these facilities are kept open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a few starting early in the morning, but the police want closure by 11 p.m. Officials are trying to convince the cops to relent in some select locations.

Footpaths' widths are to be increased with a walkway for pedestrians wherever the toilets on pavements. "Door-to-door garbage collection will be introduced soon," says Mr. Jaju.

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