Kathmandu

When nature calls, you gotta answer, right? Does not matter even if it means relieving yourself in full view of other people, not caring how your act is affecting others. Cause, you know, you can’t hold it!

That seems to be the guiding thought for many of us.

Yes, people relieving themselves (peeing) on roadsides is not a welcome but common sight in our cities. This could probably be because there is a lack of public toilets, more importantly clean usable ones, for us to use. And it could also mean that we lack common decency and are shameless.

Who’s more embarrassed?

Mobile toilets have been set up for people’s convenience. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office (KMC) has set up public toilets in areas where there is more mobility of people. There are 16 such toilets with bathroom facilities in four of them. Three of them are in the Ratnapark-Tundikhel road section, while one is in Koteshwor.

Many public toilets are in areas with overhead bridges. One is being constructed in Chabahil, as per Gyanendra Karki, Director of KMC.

However, this is not enough and people have complained about insufficient public toilets.

“This is because we lack space. We are looking at constructing public toilets in 41 places in Kathmandu,” Karki added.

Public toilets are needed, and more in areas where mobility of people is more. But the problem lies in the fact that where there is more mobility of people, there is a lack of space. “We are trying our best,” added Karki.

But people still pee in the open when the urge to answer nature’s call becomes unbearable and there is no restroom facility in sight.

And even otherwise. People are seen relieving themselves any where — against a wall, a tree, a quiet corner, more like — oh let me just pee!

“It looks like people are very shameless,” Karki opined.