Land hurdles may stifle zero open defecation scheme in Mira Bhayandar
Mumbai : To achieve freedom from open defecation by March-2017, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has geared up to fund individual toilets and to construct public toilets at 26 designated locations across the twin-city.
While funding process for individual toilets has been initiated, the plan for constructing public toilets is entangled in red tape, this owing to CRZ restrictions and other land-related hurdles – issues including delay in nods from agencies like Salt and Forest Departments. While the project cost to set up 492 toilet seats at 26 public toilets is tagged at Rs.6.15 crore, the MBMC will have to spend around Rs1.84 crore, as 40% and 10% project cost will be borne by the Central and State Government respectively under the funding pattern of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-Urban).
The MBMC will also be the beneficiary of funds amounting to Rs1.23 crore from the Planning Commission. After a survey, the MBMC found that 1,230 households which lacked toilet facilities were forced to defecate in the open. “Till date, we received 950 applications out of which 742 were approved in the first phase. A sum of Rs 6,000 each has been credited to the beneficiaries as first installment, the remaining amount will be credited after verifying work progress and final completion.” confirmed civic chief Dr Sambhaji Panpatte. The Modi-led government has issued an instruction to implement the plan focusing on four points – construction of community toilets, allowing and helping slum dwellers to build household toilets, arranging toilets for the floating population and drawing up a citizen sanitation plan along with waste management.
Civic chief Achyut Hange has also appealed to residents to take a pledge to make the twin-city free of open defecation and take advantage of the individual toilet scheme.
