BBMP installs mirror boards in Bengaluru to discourage public urination

In a bid to promote cleanliness and to improve its ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2020, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has installed mirror boards at several spots in the city that were being used as public urinals by the people despite repeated cleaning and warnings.

Apart from messages urging the public not to use the spots as urinals, the mirror boards also display a QR code which once scanned by the people, through their smartphones, guides them to the nearest public toilet in the vicinity.

BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that the corporation had hit upon the idea in a meeting held to discuss ways to improve the cleanliness in the city with special focus on the spots which were being used as urinals by the public.

"We found that despite repeated cleaning of those spots they continued to be used as urinals by the people. We, therefore, hit upon the idea of having mirror boards to prevent them from using the place as a urinal and, in addition to that, we also display a QR code for the location of the nearest public toilet for them to use," Kumar told ANI here.

At present, the mirror boards have been installed near KR Market, Balekundri Circle, ESI Compound in Indira Nagar, Jyoti Nivas College in Kormangala and Church Street.

The BBMP Commissioner also said that the corporation is building more public toilets in the city.

"We have 463 public toilets available in various parts of the city, however, there is a need for additional toilets to be built in the city considering the size. We are in the process of constructing public toilets and we are also asking the public and private companies as a part of CSR initiative to join this initiative. We have also put in place many e-toilets," he said.