With an aim to end open defecation, the civic body will construct 13,631 toilet seats by the year end
Mumbai : The BMC has come up with a five year long plan to construct additional toilet seats in the city to meet with its growing demand. Mumbai is set to get 1,36,308 number of Community toilet seats by 2019, of which 13,631 will be constructed by the end of this year.
Mumbai presently has 79,542 community toilet seats when it requires 2,15,850 seats based on evaluation of its population. According to Pallavi Darade, Additional Municipal Commissioner in charge of this project, approximately 50 people use one toilet seat when the average should be 25 people per seat only.
Darade said, “The demand is massive and we have a clear plan at hand to fulfil it. This will also fulfil BMC’s long term goal of ending open defecation in the city which is still practiced at large.”
The BMC will construct maximum number of toilets -32,329- in areas of Kurla, Sion, Shastri Nagar, Chembur, Govandi and Trombay. This is followed by 23,229 number of toilet seats in areas of Bandra, Andheri East, Ville Parle and Airport Area. South Mumbai, needs the minimum number of toilet seats – 3162 – to be constructed.
Also, the BMC plans to construct an additional 8,295 pay and use toilet seats in Mumbai by 2019, of which 830 will be constructed by the end of this year.
It will construct maximum number of pay and use toilets – 2417 – in areas of Dadar, Worli, Matunga, Parel and Mahim. South Mumbai will get 1100 pay and use toilet seats. Areas of Govandi and Chembur will get 1759 toilet seats.
Last month, BMC chief Ajoy Mehta had directed the ward officers to conduct surveys of toilet requirements in their wards. He also delegated the authority to ward officers, to independently construct toilets in their wards with the concerned DMC’s permission. This has made the process easier as ward officers will no longer need to relay information to the BMC headquarters each time.
According to Darade, the ward officers have separate funds to repair or demolish and reconstruct ‘insanitary toilets’ which are in no condition to be used. Prakash Patil, DMC, Solid waste management and toilets informed that the city presently has 786 insanitary toilets.
Area Current status Number of New of seats toilets to be constructed:
Area & Year wise break-up of toilet construction in Mumbai:
