Dimensions

Dimensions – its habituation, not home

The stench of the place hits the space all the time. So habitual have they become that they don’t even notice it anymore. They are the people for whom a “Toilet” is “home”. They are the caretakers of the Public Toilets in the city of Ahmedabad. In a confined area where there is hardly any room to walk two steps straight, they spend their entire day. They sleep, they work, they cook and they relax. The line between working hours and personal time does not exist for them. Their mundane humdrum existence fills up the space. They feel incomplete far away from home, where there is no one to talk to. It’s only their little belongings that keep them company.

Largely, the caretakers are from the State of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and many have been working in the public toilets of Ahmedabad for more than 15 years. Once a year they get a chance to visit their villages and see their wives and children. They live in hope that they will be able to educate their children with the little money they earn, after which they can return back to live with their families.