Even as Revised Draft Development Plan 2034 focuses on creating toilets especially for women in the city, and fulfilling the deficit in available toilet seats as per the Solid Waste Management Rules,
Even as Revised Draft Development Plan 2034 focuses on creating toilets especially for women in the city, and fulfilling the deficit in available toilet seats as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, the plan will still hit a deficit of 10,000 toilet seats as per the norms by the end of 2019.
As per internal assessment made for the draft DP, at present there is a requirement of 18,111 toilet seats in the island city and its suburbs specifically for women. Of this, Mumbai already has an infrastructure of 3,597 seats, falling short of the required number by an odd 1,400 seats. The Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) plans to construct 8,075 toilet seats in Mumbai, in two phases, until 2016 and then another batch until 2019.
However, as per the SWM norms, the DP suggests that the availability of toilet seats must match the ratio of one toilet seat per 100 women in the city.
By this standard, the city will fall short of 10,036 toilet seats, a demand the SWMD has vowed to meet, despite DP provisions.
Deputy municipal commissioner of Solid Waste Management, Vijay Balamwar said, “Internally, we are working towards meeting these goals nonetheless, and the DP is only an enabling measure.”
To achieve this target, the SWM department plans to use the very provisions chalked out in the DP, by which at least 50 per cent existing toilet blocks in Mumbai (1,799 structures) will be converted to double storeyed structures, being able to house twice the number of existing toilet seats and tap the full potential of the existing toilet block plots.
Meanwhile, the DP also provides for construction of 480 new toilet blocks across Mumbai, especially for women, by 2019.
