Kolkata has stinkiest loos, followed by Delhi, reveals survey

Sanitation has become a big priority for travellers in India and Kolkata as a travel destination is a big no-no for many.

According to a study by HolidayIQ, 43 per cent of about 10,000 travellers surveyed say that Kolkata has the most foul-smelling toilets, followed by Delhi (32 per cent), Chennai (29 per cent), Mumbai (29 per cent), Hyderabad (20 per cent), Pune (18 per cent) and Bangalore (14 per cent).

The survey revealed that 22 per cent travellers rate pay-and-use toilets as most unclean. 

Some places that have been named as lacking cleanliness include the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Nandi Hills and Mysore Palace (Karnataka), Golkonda Fort (Hyderabad), Humayun's Tomb, Red Fort and Qutab Minar (Delhi), Taj Mahal (Agra), Ajanta and Ellora caves (Maharashtra), Princep Ghat (Kolkata) and Bada Imambara (Lucknow). 

For many of those surveyed, toilets are an essential element in planning holidays, especially in deciding the mode of travel. Seventy per cent travellers said that they have changed their intended holiday destination or mode of travel owing to discomfort with the level of cleanliness. 

Fifty-four per cent of travellers cited the need for more toilets in their respective cities and across tourism destinations and sightseeing spots in the country. 

Railways secured second place in the dirt list with 41 per cent of the respondents stating that the service needed more toilets (41 per cent). Religious places came next with 31 per cent. Twenty-five per cent travellers voted for clean toilets at 25 km intervals on highways and 15 per cent wanted better hygiene around beaches.