The inhabitants of Mohammedia are still wondering about the absence of public toilets promised since last year. A problem that has repercussions on the environment of a city that is not already properly endowed with infrastructure.
The urban commune of Mohammedia has allocated a budget of 300,000 DH for the construction of two concrete public toilets. One in El Alia near the Mali mosque and the other at the level of the lower city, precisely at the Parc des villes jumelées. Nevertheless, this project is facing problems inherent to the design, according to a communal official who preferred to remain anonymous. "The construction of the two public toilets is blocked by the technical services of the prefecture. The head of the said services specified that the permanent construction of this project will have negative repercussions on the environment". The city thus remains confronted with this hygiene problem which harms its image. For this associative actor, Mohammedia is not managing to value its multiple vocations, its potential and its natural wealth because of the lack of infrastructure: "during the summer season, the absence of public toilets harms the image of the city. The seaside city needs several public urinals distributed in the various points of the city and installed near the sewage networks". To preserve the aesthetics of the city, the commune thus found itself obliged to propose the design of mobile public toilets adapted and equipped with adequate equipment.
"Cleanliness, hygiene and environmental protection must be established as a priority sector. It is necessary to involve private companies, encourage them and convince them to invest in the fields inherent to hygiene, cleanliness and the protection of the living environment of the inhabitants, underlines a student in Mohammedia. An awareness of the inhabitants of the need to restore the city's soul and preserve it from a situation that risks causing it prejudice". Faced with the complaints of citizens, the services concerned are called upon to settle the technical and design dispute of the future public toilets. "The new public urinals should have a system that guarantees their security and cleanliness. We cannot tolerate them being squatted by delinquents. Furthermore, we cannot put concrete toilets in the middle of the Parc des villes jumelées.
On the aesthetic and hygienic side, this choice is not suitable", a source confides to us under cover of anonymity.
Whether they are mobile, concrete or other, the creation of public urinals is a necessity to meet the needs of visitors and inhabitants of Mohammedia. Different sites in the city have deteriorated because of this problem. The situation is even more worrying in certain points of the city, notably near schools, markets, gardens, beaches and popular neighbourhoods. At the level of the Parc des villes jumelées, the situation has taken on other proportions. Shocking and uncivil behaviours are becoming more and more frequent, such as urinating in public places.
Habits have developed further with a negative impact on the hygiene and cleanliness of the city. Aware of the problem, the current council has programmed numerous projects, including those relating to the construction of public toilets.
Only one operational site
The scarcity of public toilets has repercussions on the quality of life of the inhabitants.
No urinal has been built in Mohammedia, and this, for a long time. The city does not have any fitted, maintained and equipped public toilets. The only urinal also serving as a toilet, located within the enclosure of the Kasbah, does not meet the needs of the thousands of people who visit Mohammedia, particularly on weekends and during the summer season. This deficit, for a city with a tourist vocation, is worrying. It forces the male population to no longer be embarrassed to relieve themselves in the street.
