40% OF PUBLIC TOILETS MAY COLLAPSE ANY MOMENT: BMC

MUMBAI:OVER 40 per cent of Mumbai’s 934 community toilet blocks are in a dilapidated state and pose a fatal threat to the people using them, revealed the findings of a safety audit that was conducted by the civic body after five deaths due to collapse of community toilers were reported over the last two years.

In February 2017, three people died after a portion of the community toilet collapsed on them in Mankhurd. In April, two died after the floor of the toilet collapsed in the septic tank below in Bhandup.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has completed the audit of 934 of the total 1,415 community toilets in the city and audit of 355 others is underway. Of the 383 toilet blocks found to be dilapidated, 346 are located in Mankhurd, Govandi, and Chembur slums.

Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner, said, “The dilapidated toilet blocks need to be closed down, and I have asked the concerned wards to do so right away. BMC will demolish and reconstruct these blocks.”

The reconstruction, estimated to cost ₹16 crore, is likely to begin by October. Moreover, as per the report, 18 toilet blocks need major structural repair and 102 need minor repairs, both at an estimated cost of ₹10 crore each.

“Closing down so many toilets in one area is problematic, as the ward is dominated by houses that depend on community toilets. The ward’s solid waste management (SWM) department has conducted this audit. The BMC will now hire a structural auditor to confimr our reports on the direction of the civic chief,” said a senior civic official.

“Audit of some toilet blocks is ongoing. We will begin demolition and reconstruction of the dilapidated ones, except those in M-east ward. The toilets will be constructed as part of BMC’S yearly targets to construct toilets in the Swachch Bharat Mission,” said Vishwas Shankarwar, deputy municipal commissioner, SWD department.

Mumtaz Shaikh, from the organisation Right to Pee, said, “According to SBM norms, there should be one toilet seat per 50-55 people. However, in Mumbai, several hundred people use one toilet seat, especially in slum areas. In BMC’S bid to speed up the deficit between required and existing number of toilet seats, BMC is compromising on quality, and hence safety of the toilet block structure.”

According to BMC’S estimate, about 81 people use one toilet seat in Mumbai. As part of achieving its annual target, BMC has floated tenders to construct 22,770 community toilet seats.