India, Dec. 9 -- In any urban metropolitan setup, public toilets are a basic civic necessity, meant to offer comfort and ease to citizens and visitors. But in Gurugram, they tell a story of decay; of locked doors, foul stench and facilities so unusable that many residents would rather risk relieving themselves in open spaces.

Across the city, broken seats, non-functional flushes, erratic water supply and mosquito-infested corners have become the norm in public toilets. The neglect is so deep-rooted that several facilities are barely usable, forcing women, daily-wage earners, commuters and shoppers to navigate spaces far from hygienic or safe.

According to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the city has 133 public toilets, with...