Many forced to defecate in open as toilets now difficult to reach, say farmers at Singhu border

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India] February 3 : Protesting farmers at Singhu border have said that they are facing a shortage of toilets after recent barricading near the protest site and many of them were being forced to answer the call of nature in the open.
They said that toilets have become difficult to access after new barricading.
The problem is more severe for women farmers who also face difficulties in carrying out daily tasks such as bathing and changing clothes.
Some women farmers told ANI that they move together to nearby canals or bushes to defecate in early hours.
A protestor said that two toilets that are near the venue of protest witness long queues.
He said barricades have been placed in a way that creates hurdles in using portable toilets near the first barricade, close to the stage.
Aftar Singh, a farmer from Punjab, who has been at Singhu border for the last 60 days, said they do not have options.
He alleged that barricades "have been put up in a way that there is a problem in using the toilets".
"Where shall we go for our basic necessity? We cannot walk long distances. There are so many people. Shouldn't they have thought about it and shifted the portable toilets here?" he asked.
He said open defecation is unhygienic and can lead to diseases. "The government must think about that," Singh said.
Parminder Singh from Ludhiana district said that they have no access to the toilets in Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial as it falls on the other side of the barricade.
"This has added to problems. We are forced to go in the open as we are left with very few options. We request the authorities to remove the barricades so that we can access the toilets," he said.
Farmers said they were earlier using toilets inside Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial besides portable toilets.
Lar Kaur, a protestor from Bhiwani, said they were facing many difficulties.
"Forget about bathing, the basic necessity of the toilet is a problem now. We have sufficient food here but the washroom is definitely a problem," she said.
Some farmers also complained about the scarcity of water.
"Although people here are receiving packaged drinking water, there is a scarcity of water," a protestor said.
A Delhi Police official deployed at the border told ANI that there were barricades but there was no problem about the availability of water. He did not comment on the situation concerning toilets.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 and demanding repeal of three new farm laws.