Mumbai, October 19, 2026: Mumbai’s public sanitation infrastructure has come under scrutiny, with a BMC assessment revealing that 173 of the 837 pay-and-use toilets inspected across the city have received the lowest Grade D, while just eight have secured the top Grade A.
The findings have prompted the civic body to plan upgrades, tighten maintenance standards and address deficiencies in cleanliness, infrastructure and accessibility.
The Quality Council of India (QCI), appointed by the BMC to assess the facilities, is examining five parameters: civil infrastructure, electrical and plumbing systems, cleanliness and drainage, accessibility, and basic amenities.
The grading summary presented at the October 17, 2026, review meeting showed that 566 toilets received Grade B and 90 were placed in Grade C. Of the 896 identified facilities, 837 have been assessed so far.
Infrastructure And Accessibility Under Scrutiny
Toilets are evaluated on a 100-point scale, with marks equally divided across five criteria. Deficiencies include damaged structures, plumbing and electrical faults, drainage problems, inadequate privacy and a lack of essential amenities, while accessibility for children and persons with disabilities is also under scrutiny.
Following preliminary assessments in North Mumbai, the BMC issued notices specifying mandatory improvements and gave operators three months to carry out renovations.
Follow-up inspections are under way to check compliance, with the civic review presentation citing examples of improvements in R/C ward in Borivali and R/N ward in Dahisar.
"We have plans to upgrade poorly graded facilities, standardise toilet design and maintenance, and identify sites that can be brought up to higher standards. Digital monitoring through the ToiletSeva app and corporate social responsibility partnerships under Participate Mumbai are also part of the broader sanitation programme," said a senior civic official of the BMC's Solid Waste Management department.
Activist Calls For Accountability
Vinod Gholap, chairperson of Fight for Right Foundation, said, “Only eight of 837 toilets securing Grade A is a wake-up call for the BMC. Clean and accessible public toilets are a basic civic right, not a luxury. The civic body must move beyond audits and notices to enforce upgrades, fix accountability and ensure that every Mumbaikar has access to hygienic, functional toilets.”
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Proposed Policy May Raise User Charges
Meanwhile, the BMC’s proposed Pay-and-Use Policy 2026 could make public sanitation more expensive, with women’s urinal charges set to rise from Rs 2 to Rs 5, men’s previously free urinals attracting a proposed Rs 1 fee, and bathing charges doubling from Rs 5 to Rs 10. The policy is still at the planning stage and has not yet been finalised, an official said.
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