Bengaluru's Sanitation Crisis: Only One Public Toilet per 30,000 Residents
A citizen-led audit released on July 22 has revealed a severe shortage of public toilets in Bengaluru, with only one toilet available for every 25,000 to 30,000 people. The audit further found that over a quarter of the existing toilets are non-functional.
The Bengaluru Public Toilet Audit Report 2026, published by the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), assessed 142 public toilets within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits during April and May. The evaluation covered cleanliness, functionality, safety, accessibility, and user experience.
Key findings from the audit include: 37 toilets (26% of those surveyed) were non-functional; only six were rated 'very clean'; more than half had a persistent foul odour; water was available in only about 40% of functional toilets; only 56% were adequately lit; just nine had ramps for persons with disabilities; none had soap dispensers or dustbins; and many lacked contractor details or user charge information.
The report highlighted that inadequate lighting raises safety concerns, particularly for women. Accessibility remains a major issue, with very few toilets catering to persons with disabilities.
According to the report, Bengaluru currently has around 900 public toilets, of which 479 are officially listed under the GBA. B.PAC noted that the city's public sanitation infrastructure has not kept pace with its population, now estimated at over 1.4 crore (14 million).
Among its recommendations, B.PAC has called for a 30-day repair drive to restore all non-functional toilets, the creation of a dedicated 'Public Toilet Management Cell' under the GBA, and a shift from construction-focused contracts to long-term operation and maintenance contracts. It also urged regular water supply, adequate lighting, soap dispensers, dustbins, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and more women-friendly and gender-inclusive toilets.
The organisation has requested the Karnataka government and the GBA to construct over 1,000 additional public toilets through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, prioritising high-footfall areas such as bus terminals, metro stations, markets, parks, tourist destinations, and construction sites.
