PMC Elections 2026: Citizens Demand Public Toilets on Pune’s FC Road and Jangli Maharaj Road

Ahead of PMC elections, Pune citizens demand permanent public toilets on FC Road and Jangli Maharaj Road, highlighting civic neglect and urban planning gaps.

Pune| January 14, 2026: As the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections draw closer, long-neglected civic issues are once again taking center stage, with citizens demanding permanent public toilet facilities on Pune’s heavily crowded Fergusson College (FC) Road and Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road. These two prominent roads serve as major commercial, educational, and social hubs, attracting thousands of pedestrians daily, including students, professionals, tourists, and senior citizens. Despite their importance and high footfall, the absence of accessible public sanitation facilities has caused widespread inconvenience and raised serious concerns about urban planning, public health, and civic dignity.

Residents and frequent visitors say the lack of public toilets has persisted for several years, forcing people to rely on private cafés, restaurants, or petrol pumps, many of which restrict access. Women, elderly citizens, children, and people with medical conditions are among the most affected, making the issue far more serious than mere inconvenience. Civic activists point out that temporary toilets are sometimes installed during festivals or election campaigns, but these short-term measures fail to address the core problem of permanent infrastructure in public spaces.

With the upcoming PMC elections, citizen groups have intensified their demands through public representations, social media campaigns, and direct appeals to political candidates. Many voters believe that basic civic amenities such as sanitation should be a priority over cosmetic development projects. Urban experts argue that Pune’s branding as a smart city and educational capital loses credibility when essential facilities like public toilets are missing from its busiest streets. They also emphasize that proper sanitation is a fundamental requirement for inclusive and sustainable urban development.

Officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation have acknowledged the demand and stated that proposals are under consideration, though no clear timeline has been announced. Challenges such as land availability, budget allocation, and long-term maintenance are often cited as obstacles. However, urban planners counter that solutions such as pay-and-use toilets, smart sanitation units, and public-private partnerships have been successfully implemented in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, proving that the issue is one of administrative priority rather than feasibility.

The demand for public toilets on FC Road and Jangli Maharaj Road has now become a symbol of a broader shift in voter expectations, where citizens are focusing on everyday quality-of-life issues rather than only large-scale infrastructure projects. Political analysts believe that concerns related to cleanliness, walkability, sanitation, and safety may significantly influence voter behavior in the PMC elections, particularly among young and urban voters.

In conclusion, as Pune heads into a crucial municipal election season, the call for permanent public toilets in the city’s most frequented areas highlights the growing gap between rapid urban development and basic civic infrastructure. Whether this demand results in concrete action or remains an election-time promise will be closely watched by citizens, making sanitation a key benchmark for evaluating the city’s future leadership.

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