The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has said it is planning to build modern public toilets at different parts of the Capital. 

KMC officials said the designs and estimated cost have been already to send to the Department of Roads for the approval. 

According to the KMC, it will build these modern toilets at 48 places. 

“Once approved, we plan to build all 48 toilets within six months,” said Gyanendra Karki of the metropolis. The KMC, however, is yet to decide the places where these toilets will be installed. 

The new public toilets, each costing around Rs 2.2 million, will be built under the public private partnership. 

The metropolis has also said that it would repair existing public toilets with 24-hour water facility. 

According to KMC, currently there 16 public toilets in operation. While majority of them are in dire need of repair, their number is too less given the burgeoning population of the Capital city. Besides these, around a dozen mobile toilets are kept at crowded areas such as Sundhara, Patan Durbar Square, Hanumandhoka, New Bus Park, Jawalakhel and Lagankhel among other places. 

Since none of the public toilets that are in operation in the Capital city are disabled-friendly, the KMC is also working to set up a disabled-friendly public toilet at Ratna Park. 

Harisharan KC of the Environment Division of the KMC, said the disabled- and child-friendly toilet will come into operation in about a month, for which Unicef has provided $6,000.