Ahead of the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to install public toilets at 82 locations to prevent open defecation in areas where these amenities are missing. Officials said that the move is aimed at projecting a "good image" of the city among participants and visitors during the international sporting event.

"The PMC, as part of the beautification plan of the city for the CYG, plans to install public toilets in slum areas and other public places to avoid open defecation," PMC Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dhananjay Chandakar told The Indian Express today. The civic health department has identified 82 such locations, mostly in slum areas, where there is a need for public toilets. It plans to install at least 240 toilets, 120 seats each for men and women.

Chandakar said that the PMC will install good quality public toilets on a build, operate and transfer (BoT) basis before the October games. The maximum number of 14 spots has been identified for installing toilet blocks at the Dhole-Patil ward office, followed by 12 at the Ghole Road ward office and 11 at the Sahakarnagar ward office.

However, there are some spots where the earlier installed public toilets are missing or have been shifted. Interestingly, the civic administration recently revealed under the Right to Information Act (RTI) that there are only 352 public urinals for the over 30 lakh population -- which means one public urinal per 9,000 people against one for every 40 people as per development control rules. "For the area in and around the various venues for the Games, the PMC would outsource garbage collection and disposal to carry out waste control, in accordance with international standards," PMC Assistant Chief Medical Officer S T Pardeshi said.

A private company with experience of international standard waste management would be appointed for the purpose, he added. Pardeshi said that the PMC would be responsible for testing the food samples to be supplied to Games participants and coordinate with the state government the issuance of health licences to restaurants and hotels.