Free access to women, kids in 270 north Delhi hotels, restaurants

NEW DELHI: Women and children in north Delhi can now access toilets at 270 hotels and restaurants, free of cost.

The announcement comes almost three months after the South Delhi Municipal Corporation took a similar decision, prompting the east corporation to follow suit.

Owners and associations of these hotels and restaurants have approved the north DMC’s proposal.

Preety Agarwal, mayor, North DMC, said the decision was taken for the convenience of women and children, especially in areas where public toilets are not available.

All the 270 hotel and restaurants are registered with the civic agency.

Forty-seven restaurants/ hotels are in Karol Bagh zone, 12 in Narela, 72 in Rohini, 34 in the Sadar Paharganj and 14 in the city zone.

This would be in addition to public washroom facilities made available by the corporation.

Agarwal stickers are being pasted in front of the restaurants and hotels for information and awareness about the facility.

In May, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner PK Gupta had called a meeting with the hotel/restaurant associations to work out a road map to implement the decision.

“The restaurants owners raised some safety issues but those have been sorted out,” said the official.

Apart from allowing free access, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation also requested the association members to adopt public toilets in and around their areas.

But no decision has been taken in this regard so far.