Money Grows On Potted Plants

Clearly, the profits are tidy, judging by the number of entrepreneurs now jumping into the fray. So far, the NDMC has granted licences to private parties for the rebuilding and running of 40 public conveniences. "This will only work as long as entrepreneurs take good care to maintain the facilities," says Lokhandwala, welcoming the competition. And it's because of maintenance that he's declining the offers to build similar facilities in other cities. "I'm still not able to crystallise a system by which these toilets will work without my supervision," he confesses.

The business is not only expanding, it's diversifying. Last year Lokhandwala decided to exercise his aesthetic and business acumen on another of the city's eyesores: the garbage dumps.He has now sold the NDMC his concept of "garbage stations." Like his public toilets, these too are things of beauty, tile-roofed, granite-and-marble floored, spanking clean outlets where the public can deposit their garbage at three polished counters: plastic/metal, paper and organic waste. The smartly-dressed attendants accept garbage that even the kabadiwala refuses. The business potential: advertisements again, this time over the garbage stations.

Things have changed quite a bit since Lokhandwala started his first public toilet. "Now we have customers at the toilets demanding to know why the water is not of good quality, or why can't we provide better napkins or soap," points out the finicky entrepreneur.

For Lokhandwala, these complaints are the best compliment. "It shows you how fast people get accustomed to the best services. You just had to raise the standards."