LUCKNOW, May 4 -- The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has apparently failed to keep its pink toilets functional across the city, leaving women without access to dedicated public sanitation facilities, with many units found locked at multiple locations. A ground survey by Hindustan Times over the weekend found several such toilets shut in key areas, including Vrindavan Yojana, Qaiserbagh, Ashiana and Gomti Nagar. Many remained locked even during the day time, with no staff or maintenance activity visible on site. The toilets were constructed to provide safe and accessible sanitation facilities for women, but poor upkeep and lack of monitoring have rendered several of them defunct. The issue has repeatedly been raised in LMC House meetings, with corporators questioning both execution and maintenance. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar acknowledged that multiple units had developed technical and maintenance-related issues. He said the civic body has now initiated repair work at around 70 locations. "We identified issues at several pink toilets. Repair and restoration work is underway, and we expect them to become functional by June," Kumar said. Earlier, the LMC had attempted to hand over operations of these toilets to private individuals to ensure regular maintenance. However, the plan failed to deliver results, forcing the civic body to revert to direct intervention for repairs and restoration. Corporators have flagged serious discrepancies in the distribution and functionality of these facilities. Several representatives said that while some wards have more than two pink toilets, others have none despite repeated demands. They alleged that the project suffered from poor planning and lack of follow-up. Mukesh Singh Chauhan, corporator from Ismailganj Ward, claimed that none of the pink toilets in the city are currently functional. He criticised the slow pace of repair work and urged the LMC to prioritise restoring essential public services. "These facilities were meant for women, but their closure has made them meaningless. The civic body must act urgently," he said. The issue has also been raised multiple times in previous House meetings by corporator Saurabh Singh Monu, who highlighted the non-functional condition of toilets in his ward and demanded accountability. htc...