Poor-Quality Fiber Sheets Used in 31 Toilets: Palampur Municipal Corporation Under Scrutiny

Only Three Toilets Functional After Three Years; Water Tanks and Fittings Stolen

The Palampur Municipal Corporation (MC) has come under public scrutiny over the installation of 31 prefabricated fiber-sheet toilets on concrete platforms across various parts of the town. Even after three years of installation, most of these toilets remain non-operational and in a state of disrepair, causing serious inconvenience to the public.

Over the years, water tanks and other fittings have been stolen, while the poor-quality fiber sheets and substandard construction materials have led to rapid deterioration—most toilets reportedly became unusable within a month of installation.

The MC had engaged a private contractor for the project, spending over ₹14 lakh per unit and paying a total of ₹3.81 crore for the 31 toilets. Despite the huge expenditure, corporation officials have remained silent on how the funds were utilized. The toilets, made entirely of fiber sheets without concrete walls, could not withstand even the first monsoon rains.

Originally, the proposal included only 24 toilets, but the corporation awarded a contract for seven additional units despite poor-quality work on the first batch — and without calling for fresh tenders, as required by procurement rules.

Interestingly, in the last three years, the corporation has not issued any notice to the contractor for using inferior materials or for poor workmanship. Out of the 31 toilets, only three are currently functional, while the rest became defunct shortly after installation. Most are clogged, leaking, and emitting foul odors, rendering them unusable.

A senior Public Works Department (PWD) official told The Tribune that the actual cost of such prefabricated toilets should be around ₹5–6 lakh each, not ₹14 lakh. The official added that prefabricated units are not suitable for regions like Palampur, which experience heavy rainfall, snowfall, and freezing temperatures. “These structures have a life span of only five to seven years, making them unsuitable for Himachal’s climatic conditions,” the official noted.

Mayor Gopal Nag told The Tribune that the toilets were installed during the previous BJP government, against the wishes of several councilors, and that the contractor was paid during that tenure.

“When the Congress government took office, the municipal corporation withheld the contractor’s pending bills, which were neither part of the original contract nor in line with the approved work provisions,” Nag said. “To date, no pending payment has been released.”

He admitted that such prefabricated toilets are not suitable for hilly regions and added that after the change in government, the MC also scrapped the previous BJP administration’s proposal to install 2,000 cast-iron benches and rain shelters.

Nag emphasized that corruption will not be tolerated in the municipal corporation and that no one will be allowed to misuse public funds.