Centre to civic bodies, ZPs: Public toilets in bad shape, do something about them

The directive, issued by V K Jindal, joint secretary and mission director, Swachh Bharat Mission, has been sent to all municipal commissioners in 500 cities across the country.

Pointing out the shortcomings in maintaining community and public toilets, the Ministry stated, “Cleanliness is not maintained, there are encroachments around community and public toilets, toilets are without water and light, toilets are in a dilapidated condition, there is a bad smell around these toilets and the behaviour of the person in-charge of the toilet is not courteous.”

The ministry has urged local self-government bodies to launch a special cleanliness drive for three months, from October 23 to January 22, to “ensure operation and maintenance of community and public toilets and triggering behaviour change among users towards their upkeep and cleanliness, to enhance usage of these facilities by all citizens”.

Suggesting various steps for maintaining public toilets, the Ministry said, “information, education and communication activities” should be encouraged to educate citizens about using public toilets in a responsible manner.

The Ministry said it should be ensured that contact details of the toilet in-charge, as well as details of when the toilet was last cleaned, is available. The Ministry has also called for regular inspection and monitoring of cleanliness and usage levels of community and public toilets by the officers concerned, as well as the citizen representatives. It has also suggested setting up a quick response team and providing a ‘facility’ like soap.

The Ministry said it had sent creative designs that can be printed out and displayed in and around community toilets and public toilets, conveying messages about their safe and sustainable maintenance.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Joint Municipal Commissioner Dilip Gawde confirmed that the civic administration had received the directive on Monday, and said it would make all possible effort to ensure that the guidelines are implemented. “We have 5,500 public toilets and have been working relentlessly to ensure cleanliness in and out of these toilets,” he said.

However, advocate Sagar Charan, vice-president of the Safai Karamchari Complaint Grievance Committee, said, “The toilets of PCMC are in absolutely bad shape. The doors and commodes are broken or are missing at some places, water facility is not available and the toilets are cleaned only in the morning.”