JOIN USThe municipal corporations are dragging their feet in tackling open defecation in the city, opening only 20-odd new toilet blocks so far for the public since the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission in October last year.
No wonder they ranked 398 of the total 476 cities surveyed in a Ministry of Urban Development’s Pan India sanitation survey. As many as four lakh household toilets have been built in urban areas across the country since October last, according to the mission.
Officials with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the civic agency had initially decided to construct 51 women toilet block under its areas. “But not all community toilet complexes (CTCs) were sanctioned. Of them, 34 CTCs for women are almost ready for use,” said an official with Department of Environment Management Services.
“We are planning to conduct a survey to identify the number of individual toilets constructed by the households in the limits of civic agency,” he added.
While the South Corporation claimed that all the 397 CTCs and waterless urinals have been repaired and renovated since the launch of the mission. “Some 14 toilet blocks have been constructed and opened for public,” said an official requesting anonymity. “A tender for around 35 more toilets has been pending,” he added.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation also said they had planned to construct over 65 public loos and nearly 45 are under-construction. “Some over 10 toilet blocks have been opened for the public earlier this year by the civic agency,” said an official with the DEMS.
But the councillors accused the government for the poor performance of civic agencies in the sanitation survey.
“They are meant for the corporations but two-third of the services are provided by the Delhi government. If civic agencies functioning or services were only been adjudged then the rating could have been better,” said North Corporation Mayor Ravinder Gupta.