North Delhi Municipal Corporation has decided to open state-of-the-art toilet complexes for women at market places across north Delhi.

The corporation plans to open six toilet blocks – one each in all the six administrative zones – at commercial hubs to which maximum number of women visit.

It plans to start such toilet blocks in its 104 municipal wards later.

The officers said the proposal for the six complexes is being finalised and will be incorporated in the budget proposals for the next financial year to be cleared next month.  
“There have been constant demands for exclusive toilet complexes at market places. The architecture department is asked to prepare the layout for the project. The required fund will be estimated accordingly,” the leader of House in North Corporation, Mahendra Nagpal said.

Nagpal said the locations are being identified and suggestions from councillors and market associations on the issue will also be considered.

The architecture department has prepared two models of toilet complexes.
A department officer said the first draft of the two models has been submitted to the higher authorities and the final feedback is being awaited.

“The two models are different in shape and size. While the number of women who can use the toilet at a time will depend on the model that is chosen, both the models have entry from back to make it invisible from the roadside,” the officer said.

While the corporation is planning to open sophisticated toilet complexes, such attempts by the unified MCD have yielded bitter results in past.

The MCD had planned to open modern toilets on Public Private Partnership model ahead of the commonwealth games. However, the project courted controversy and finally landed up in litigation.

But the corporation officers said they are taking all precautions to make the project a success.

“The corporation will finance the project. One of the major complaints against toilet complexes is their maintenance. We are planning to make the facilities a paid service with minimum charge,” said Nagpal.