A long-standing dispute between the Metropolitan Corporation (MC) and the Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) over the ownership and maintenance of public toilets has led to a severe sanitation crisis, forcing residents to resort to open urination and defecation across the city’s busiest areas.

The situation is particularly alarming along major roads and near railway tracks, where the absence of functional facilities has compelled people to relieve themselves in the open, especially during late evening and early morning hours.

According to officials in the MC, 14 public toilet facilities were constructed in 2014 under the then city district government led by former District Coordination Officer Naseem Sadiq to address growing sanitation needs.

The operation and maintenance of these facilities were initially outsourced to private individuals and firms, including members of the Christian community.

However, following the abolition of the city district government system during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan and the restoration of the earlier administrative structure, these facilities were gradually abandoned.

Sources said that with diminishing oversight, most of the toilet units fell into disrepair and became targets of theft and vandalism.

Criminal elements reportedly stripped the structures of iron doors, railings, water pumps, electric meters, taps, wiring, and even roofing materials, leaving them largely unusable. Municipal Officer (Finance) Muhammad Awais Gondal confirmed that 12 of the 14 toilet points, located at key sites including markets, parks, and transport hubs, were handed over to the FWMC for maintenance. However, he claimed that the company later abandoned the responsibility.

He added that only two facilities, at Railway Road and Dhobi Ghat, remain under MC control. Gondal said the corporation is now preparing a plan to dismantle the dilapidated structures and replace them with modern, sustainable units.

In contrast, FWMC spokesperson Mateeb Virk rejected the MC’s claims, stating that no formal agreement existed for the transfer of public toilet maintenance and that such responsibilities do not fall within the company’s operational mandate.