Not Enough Latrines

The XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG) opened on Sunday Oct 3, 2010. If you have not already heard, India is hosting the Commonwealth games this year; but all is not well. There has been an incessant drumbeat of things going wrong, leading up to the games. There were some factors one doesn’t have much control over like- heavy monsoon, terror alerts and Dengue fever. But the main problems started when the international athletes came into New Delhi and found their accommodation were uninhabitable. When the quarters were being built, they forgot to build toilets for the construction workers. They in turn freely used the toilets and ruined their good work. A year ago the federation regulating the games reported that the preparation is far beyond schedule.

After this was debated in the media with pictures of the dirty quarters in major media, the authorities stepped in the correct the problem. But the damage is done. I have no doubt that the games in themselves will be conducted in a very professional manner and the games will have wide following. But I was really hoping for a great CWG, not a mediocre one and then India would have been in the running for hosting the Olympics in the future. That would have been the prize to savor.

Now is there a need for toilets in India in the public space. The answer is yes. The dark and narrow urine streets of Chennai do not count as toilets in the public space. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which gives away 3 billion dollars per year for global health care, has invested a lot on building toilets. Up to a million and a half children die due to poor sanitary causes in the world every year. One of the success stories have been in North India where women refuse to marry men without toilets in their houses. “No Loo, No I do”.

And why do men find it hard to hold on and pee when ever they feel the urge and how do women hold on for long periods of time? These are tough questions . Maybe men should try wearing Diapers.

Prabhakar