‘If you walk down the whole stretch, you will collapse due to the stench’

If you walk down the whole stretch, you will collapse due to the stench’

When it comes to answering the call of nature, the Delhi male does not look very far and relieves himself as soon as he finds a wall, corner or crevice. Perhaps no place in the Capital — dirty or clean, posh or humble — has stopped him from leaving an impression — tell-tale marks of which invite his brethren to relieve themselves at the very spot in future.
However, there are some areas in Delhi that have been the traditional favourites for people to urinate in the open.
Hindustan Times visited the top five spots in Delhi that are a hit with people who prefer urinating in public and found out what attracts people to these places:
Delhi Gate
As soon as you approach the Delhi Gate intersection while coming from ITO on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, you will find men occupying any spot they can find to urinate. The situation is worse as you reach the intersection, the pavement swerving towards the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital remains covered with urine and with the horrid stench, no one dares to use the pavement what it is meant for — walking.
“My father was admitted in the G.B. Pant hospital sometime back and I had to cross the intersection every day to reach the bus stop. Stepping on the pavement is out of question, I felt nauseous just by looking at the mess,” said Jayant Goswami, a Gole Market resident.
There is a toilet maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi right next to the intersection but few use it. What is worse, people urinate right on the wall of the toilet.
“Most people here are very poor and do not want to pay to use the urinal or toilets. People defecate and urinate right next to this toilet. Even, seemingly well-off people do not want to pay and prefer urinating in full public view,” said Sunil Kumar, the toilet’s caretaker.
Jeevan Bharati, Janpath
When the Jeevan Bharati building (LIC building), a futuristic creation in stone, glass and metal by eminent architect Charles Correa came up in Connaught Place in the Eighties, no one imagined the way Delhiites would express their admiration for the structure.
The whole periphery of the imposing building remains drenched by men emptying their bladders. This, when there is a well-maintained public toilet constructed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) at the start of the Janpath market next to the building.
At any given time of the day, the number of men who stop by next to the wall to answer nature’s call are far more than those visiting the public facility provided by the civic body for the purpose.
“The facility was opened in 1999. We charge Re 1 for the men’s urinal and Rs 2 for the women’s washroom. Everyday we have nasty fights with users who refuse to pay up for using the facility. ‘Why should we pay one rupee when we can do it for free outside’ is the general refrain,” said Kamlesh Kumar Upadhyaya, caretaker of the toilet.
He said that most users feel it is the duty of the government to provide such facilities for free.
AIIMS
There are two toilets on the Aurobindo Marg side gate of AIIMS but there are none on the Ring Road side and hence, it is a popular site for urinating. The place is near the hospital’s gate and right next to a subway. Most of the people emerging out of the subway start searching for their handkerchiefs as soon as their senses are assaulted by the stench.
“It is tough standing right next to this place but you cannot blame the people too. Hundreds of people use this gate everyday but there are no toilet facilities for them. What else can they do,” asked Ram Prasad, a water vendor.
Hindustan Times caught up with a man to ask about the compulsion to urinate at that spot, after he was finished with his business. “The toilets are on the Aurobindo Marg side and I have to take a bus from Ring Road, do you expect me to travel that far and come back just to use a urinal? The MCD should put up a urinal here too,” said Virendra Kumar, who had come with a patient.
Dhaula Kuan
The Dhaula Kuan bus stop is a hub for busses going towards Gurgaon and perhaps keeping the long haul and the crawling traffic in mind, commuters prefer to shed extra baggage here before they board a bus. Almost the whole stretch from the Dhaula Kuan flyover to the Station Road intersection (the road going towards Delhi Cantonment) is used by people to relieve themselves.
“This road is not for those with finer sensibilities, if you walk down the whole stretch, you will collapse at the end of it due to the stench,” said Jiten Sharma, who uses the bus stop frequently.
“What else can I do, there are no toilets here. The nearest one is opposite the Maurya hotel and to reach there I would have to cross the Dhaula Kuan flyover, which is not possible for me,” said Mukesh, who uses the pavement to relieve himself.
Barakhamba Road
At night, the Barakhamba Road is a beautiful sight to behold with its beautiful streetlights, freshly paved wide road and the stately high rise buildings. But if you look closer, the service lane just next to the boundary wall of the Statesman House sticks out like a sore thumb.
This service lane and its pavement are another favourite spot for Delhiites to urinate. “The stretch become a mess during the night while people working in the nearby offices relieve themselves before going to the bus stop. In fact, the whole curved pavement from Statesman House till Kasturba Gandhi Marg is used for urinating,” said Garima, a travel executive who works in Connaught Place. “It is so embarrassing, I prefer to walk on the road,” she said.
“Unlike the inside lanes, there are no shops or eateries on this stretch and people find it easy to urinate here. The stretch is almost abandoned as the stench is unbearable and only those who urinate, come here,” said Vijay Pal, a street food vendor.

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