CH NEWS
YADGIR
Hulasur town continues to face a shortage of basic civic amenities, including public toilets and functioning streetlights, even nine years after being declared a taluk headquarters. The town has 12 wards with a population of more than 18,000. People from around 20 surrounding villages visit Hulasur regularly for weekly markets, shopping, banking and various government-related work. Around 20 to 30 buses operate through the town every day.
Despite this, there are no adequate public toilet facilities to meet the needs of residents and visitors. Women, girls, elderly persons, children, students, workers, persons with disabilities and people from rural areas are reportedly facing considerable inconvenience and embarrassment due to the lack of toilets. Residents complain that the resulting foul smell and poor sanitation could also pose health risks.
Local traders have urged the authorities to construct public toilets at crowded locations and ensure proper maintenance. Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Mahadev Jammu said, funds would be earmarked under the Gram Panchayat plan for construction of a public toilet. We will discuss the issue with the PDO and take steps to install streetlights, he said.
The streetlights installed on the divider of the Bhalki–Basavakalyan State Highway in Hulasur have reportedly remained non-functional for nearly a year. The streetlights were installed by the Public Works Department (PWD), while their maintenance responsibility was later handed over to the Gram Panchayat. However, residents allege that proper maintenance has not been carried out.
Social activists expressed concern over the safety situation, particularly at night. “It is unfortunate that the authorities have failed to wake up even after accidents have occurred. The streetlights should be repaired immediately. Women are afraid to travel through the area at night. If immediate action is not taken, we will launch a protest, they warned.
