The civic body has started installing semi-automatic and automatic toilets in various parts of the city to improve civic services ahead of the upcoming hockey men’s world cup.

The civic body, which has mooted the plan in August, has started materialising the same with installing the toilets at strategic locations of Bhubaneswar. The toilets are being installed on major stretches such as Janpath, Rajpath and Bidyut Marg.

“We have identified the places for installation of the toilets after a detailed survey. The toilets will be placed in major footfall areas, tourist destinations and on major arterial roads of the city,” said deputy commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Srimanta Mishra.

The civic body will install 30 semi-automatic and another 30 automatic modular toilets in the city. There will be separate facilities for males and females. While the male ones will be called HeToilet, the female ones will be called SheToilet.

“The toilets will be installed in 30 locations each of which will have one for males and the other for females. We will provide equal numbers of automatic and semi-automatic toilets for the men and women,” said Mishra.

The toilets have been made of stainless steel. While the automatic ones will have the capability to clean the toilets on its own, the semi-automatic ones will also have quite similar features.

Sources said that the automatic ones will require card-based entry while the semi-automatic ones will be operated manually. “We will collect a basic amount from the users for better maintenance and sustainability of the toilets,” said a civic body official.

The civic body has also expedited construction of the hybrid toilets in various parts of the city and so far opened nearly 76 such facilities besides the 24 public toilets made operational under Project Samman.

“The plan was to make nearly 180 public and community toilets and 100 general urinals operational ahead of the hockey men’s world cup. Till now, we have opened nearly 150 toilets and will shortly add 60 urinals,” said a civic body official.

Patia resident Nityananda Jena said hygiene and cleanliness is important and toilets play a crucial role in it. “I must laud civic authorities to increase the number of such facilities in a significant manner over the year,” said Jena.