These two apps can help you locate clean public toilets

Representational image. (Photo via Unsplash)

Aishwarya Kiledar, 26, Information Technology professional, roams around freely these days in her home city Thane since she downloaded the app Woloo. The mobile app showcases nearby cleanly maintained washrooms in the 1-2 km vicinity wherever she is. The app also showcases reviews given by other users about cleanliness and facilities at these washrooms.

“Now I can drink water or eat anything I want as I don’t have to worry over how to get to the washroom when I want to relieve. I can go anywhere especially faraway areas or other cities freely since I have this app,” says Kiledar.

Earlier she would make sure not to drink water or eat anything before going outside and that habit is not healthy for the human body. She is not alone and this is the common story. India has only 74,000 public washrooms in major cities to population of billions, according to government data.

Importance of availability of washrooms

“Human body produces two litres of urine a day but urinary bladder can hold 400 millilitres of urine. Thus human body should urinate 4-5 times a day. But if they don't urinate for long hours due to reasons like lack of safe washrooms, shape of a bladder increases like balloon. It can turn into bladder no longer cannot urinate,” explains Dr Sanjay Kulkarni, urologist, Pune.

Taking this point into account, Rupali Kelshikar started the mobile application Woloo for both Android and iPhone. The app showcases a minimum of three-four clean washrooms in a 1km radius from where you are. Woloo has a presence in 380 cities with over 25,000 washrooms listed on it.

Kelshikar, founder of Woloo, says, “We used to stay in America for many years. When we returned a few years ago, my college going daughter would find it hard to find clean washroom whenever she would go outside. That is why we thought of solution of this problem. After discussions and observations, we realised there are washrooms but they are not maintained and clean. Hence first we set up a clean washroom and restroom near Thane Railway Station. It received a good response as women could refresh here, sit for a few minutes and buy a cup of coffee. But we had to close down during Covid lockdown.”

“Then we started to work on the Airbnb model. We requested restaurants to come on board to offer their washrooms to people. We visit these washrooms to check cleanliness as per guidelines by Toilet Board Coalition. Once washrooms of restaurants are onboard, we audit them periodically to check whether they are maintained or not. In case, they are not maintained, we delist them,” she adds.

Users can give review about cleanliness, facilities available at each toilet. And other users based on reviews can decided whether to go to that washroom. However, public washrooms are not listed on this app as they might not be clean.

ToiletSeva

In the same way Amol Bhinge, US based engineer, started the ToiletSeva,  a freeapp with the same purpose. 1.25 lakh washrooms all over India are listed on this app. The app tells type of toilet (Indian or Western, availability of water, light, mirror, tissue papers, dustbin. The app is connected with cafes, restaurants, government officials, schools, colleges, petrol pumps, hospitals, malls and banks.

“People tend to go to expensive restaurants with the hope of clean washrooms during long travels. They get disappointed sometime. On this background, this app is helpful,” says Amol Bhinge, founder of the app.

Restaurants join the app as they have and maintain washrooms without returns. But due to listed washrooms, they have started to get increased footfalls in their restaurants. Upesh Marlecha who runs Sukanta Restaurant in the Deccan area of Pune, says, “People tend to pay attention to hygiene since the pandemic. And they are keen to use cleaned washrooms. We joined the app ToiletSeva four months ago when its team approached us. Since then we receive more customers. Besides we get satisfaction that we are serving people. Due to the clean washroom, customers tend to give good ratings to the restaurant on various apps and that is beneficial to us.”

Right to Pee

“In India, government agencies responsible for providing clean toilets are insensitive and dismissive towards providing clean toilets for people especially for women. Thus these agencies are insensitive and dismissive towards basic violation of equal rights of dignity, health and access to public space. On this background, these mobile apps are doing good work to navigate towards clean washrooms,” says Rohini Kadam, coordinator, Right to Pee. CORO, social organisation runs the Right to Pee campaign to advocate free, clean, safe public urinals for women in Mumbai.

Ketaki Yavatkar finds ToiletSeva app useful as its relieving for her during her menstruation periods. “I can think of changing sanitary napkins when I am outside. Earlier, I would change pads when I return home. This is not good for my health. But there was no option either. Besides, whenever I am outside in faraway areas or other cities, it is helpful to find clean washrooms,” says the 26-year-old graphic designer from Pune.