Where do you urinate if there is no lavatory?

I asked these pedestrians if they have ever urinated in a public place and why they do it.

"Yahaan pishaab karna mana hai"

(Do not urinate here)

"Yahaan ghadda pishaab kar raha hai"

(The person urinating here is a donkey)

These warnings are painted on many walls in our cities. Here is a picture:







But these warnings are widely ignored by most people.

One week ago, I decided to go out and talk to some pedestrians near my office about this practice; I asked them if they have ever urinated in a public place and why, and if they were willing to pay Rs5 per visit to a public toilet facility. The responses were varied, but one that stayed with me is that relieving oneself in public is a "majboori" (necessity).

There is a severe lack of public toilets in this bustling city, so the only options in case of an exploding bladder are a mosque lavatory or a wall.

Local government bodies should ensure that a public toilet facility is available in every busy area of the city - a facility that comes with a staff that will be responsible for cleaning the cubicles. If you have ever tried to use the bathrooms at places like the Kemari, you will know that filthy bathrooms are a breeding ground for diseases.

This video contains the views of the average Pakistani pedestrian. Hope you like it!

Read more by Atika here or follow her on Twitter @AtikaRehman