Mumbai civic body to build 3000 more toilets this year, improve condition of existing ones

The civic body has decided to appoint seven architects, one for each zone, who will submit design as per the requirement, space constraints and the area features.

Dirty, rickety public toilets across the city are going to get a make-over as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will appoint architects to give them new look and design. BMC chief Ajoy Mehta has asked all the ward officers to prepare a list of public toilets in their wards that are in dire need of repair, reconstruction or are in poor shape for lack of maintenance. The BMC will also build over 3000 more toilets this year.

The BMC will also build over 3000 more toilets this year. (HT File/Representational Image)

The civic body has decided to appoint seven architects, one for each zone, who will submit design as per the requirement, space constraints and the area features. “After the list is finalised, architects will design each public toilet depending upon things like, type of the area, for example if the area falls under heritage, commercial or residential area,” said Kiran Dighavkar, nodal officer, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

After the budget announcement of providing free public toilets or discontinuing ‘Pay and Use’ public toilets, the BMC is also looking at various revenue models like advertising and involving corporate houses under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). “Earlier civic body use to work on build-and-operate basis. From now BMC will construct the toilets and also maintain it by appointing house-keeping staff, rather than through an NGO,” said Dighavkar.

After a report by the Maharashtra government last year, which puts the Mumbai civic body in the bottom five municipal corporations in terms of construction of toilets, the BMC is rushing to meet its target to construct 18, 818 toilets seats across the city in 2018.

Out of the 18,818 toilets, 3,044 will be new constructions and the rest, which were constructed 20 years back, will be refurbished. The construction work is expected to begin from this month and will cost Rs376 crore to the civic body.