Most Comfortable Place on Earth

(It has taken nearly four month for me since I last wrote an article in my blog. This is my 50th article and what a shame on me as it took me long time to post. My long days of absence from blogging does not show my "dis"-interest in blogging, it was just that, my days were very busy and it is getting busier. I gained all my strength to stop working for sometime and write something today).

Have you ever been asked by your friends, “What is the most comfortable place on Earth?” The question seems foolishly simple, but if you try to think carefully and try to answer, this “simple” question, it would force you to scratch your head several times before coming to the concrete answer.

Typical toilet structure in rural Bhutan

I faced a similar question few years back and I couldn’t answer it. This question made me to think for several hours until my bladder was filled with un-wanted liquid, which urgently needs to be expelled from my body. Yes, you got me right, for me the most comfortable place on earth was and is TOILET. That is the reason, I always stress on keeping my toilets clean and free of stinks. Someone rightly coined toilet as “REST ROOM”.

Unfortunately in Bhutan, cleanliness of toilets gets least attention. The general notion of us is, toilet is a place where un-wanted materials are disposed and why should it be clean. In-fact toilet is a place where we relieve ourselves. Have you ever realized that, after visiting toilets you could always see yourself smiling with great relief? It actually is overlooked by many of us, forgetting the real value, toilets have to offer.

Toilets in Bhutan have always been a problem to our tourists. An article came out in “Yahoo News” in March 8, 2012 titled “Bhutan toilet stinks, tourist says”. I wasn’t at-all surprised to read the news as they reported the truth. I have always blamed public toilets in Bhutan. Concerned agencies in Bhutan construct public toilets, but its sustainability and maintenance has never been given importance. Have you ever-visited public toilets in Thimphu, Dochula, Yotongla and many others? if not, you should. You will find out for yourself. For instance, after the fire incidence in Bumthang, officials came out with smart idea of constructing a public toilet in Chamkhar town. I am not sure how many make use of it, or, I would rather phrase it as, how many might have used it? Only after a month of having the facility in place, I was heading towards the toilet to relieve myself; but to my surprise, loads of stools and stagnant urine greeted me right from the entrance of the toilet, forget the stinks, the looks itself was disgusting. What a shame? I won’t blame people who put the facility in place without considering its sustainability; I would rather blame people who used it. But, on the other hand joint efforts of maintaining the cleanliness of such facility will be very much appreciated.

However, I would still go for the idea of constructing public toilets wherever possible but with proper planning and keeping in mind the sustainability and maintaining clean facility for the public to use. Public toilets in Bhutan should be constructed using cheaper materials like wood instead of erecting huge concrete houses consuming lots of space and resources; becoming an eyesore. Public toilets in Bhutan should not be dark, I am wondering when will we start to appreciate light and make more window“ed” toilets. Every public toilets in Bhutan should be manned to maintain cleanliness and to collect some fees for using the toilets. The fees should be spent in purchasing soaps and toilet papers. There should be place to dispose sanitary items too.

Let us act now before Bhutan becomes famous for the stinking toilets. Let us act now to make someone’s most comfortable place, indeed a comforting area.