News Mania Desk / Sohom Chatterjee / 29th September 2024
Every living being has to complete the action of excretion in order to keep their system clean. Humans, the most intelligent and civilised organism of all, also engage in the process. However, unlike other animals, they are very discreet. Human beings have figured out long ago that the action of excretion is a matter of privacy and should be done in a private and clean place.
Historically, the concept of toilets have evolved throughout the ages. The usage of public washrooms have also increased in this modern, fast-paced world where people spend more time away from home.
In India, although public washrooms are available in many places, sometimes they are scarce to be found. Even if someone finds a public toilet, most of the time, the state of that restroom is dirty and unhygienic beyond imagination. Indian men often choose to stand by a wall or a corner to complete their business but this is not desired in a civilised society. Indian women are the most affected by the bad state of those public restrooms as there is fear of coming in contact with unwanted infections and illnesses.
To not encounter any unforeseen situation like this, there is an Indian law that enables everyone in India to use a clean restroom when needed. According to Section 7(2) of the Indian Sarais Act of 1867, people have the right to access water and washrooms for free at any time in any hotel or restaurant. This also includes five star hotels. There are places in India where big restaurants and hotels exist without having a proper public restroom nearby. In these places, a person in need can rightfully ask the hotel or restaurant authority for access to their washroom. The concerned authority is liable to letting the person asking the access to washroom. If not, then the hotel or restaurant’s license is subjected to being cancelled. The number of National Consumer Helpline to register complaints in cases of refusal is 1800-11-4000.
