Mumbai civic body plans to build Suvidha centre in Dharavi for better sanitation

In Asia’s largest slum Dharavi where 80% of locals depend on community toilets, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to set up a ground-plus-two storey Suvidha centre. The centre will have 111 toilets along with other facilities such as laundry, water ATM. Citizens will also be given education on sanitation at the centre.

In Asia’s largest slum Dharavi where 80% of locals depend on community toilets, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to set up a ground-plus-two storey Suvidha centre. The centre will have 111 toilets along with other facilities such as laundry, water ATM. Citizens will also be given education on sanitation at the centre.

The Suvidha centre will be built on a 2,600-square metre plot in Dharavi. (HT FILE)

BMC has planned the centre under corporate social responsibility with a private firm. The aim is to provide citizens with better sanitsation facilities and educate them on personal hygiene. It will offer a holistic approach to the issues of personal hygiene, lack of laundry facilities, lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation that plague the slum cluster.

According to BMC officials, the Suvidha centre will be built on a 2,600-square metre plot in Dharavi, and the target is to have it ready by October 2, 2021. The centre will be one of the biggest community toilets in Mumbai with over 100 clean flushing toilet seats for women, men and children and accessible toilets for people with disabilities. It is being designed with safety in mind with separate entrances for women and girls. Specific toilets will open at night to help reduce the risk of violence, which is prevalent at many slum toilets.