SDMC’s Order - Part II

Click here for SDMC’s Order Part I

Why in news?

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) made it mandatory for all hotels and restaurants in its jurisdiction to give full access to the general public to their toilet facilities.

Why it is not a proper solution?

• The SDMC direction is a typical example of a quick fix, without looking at the full system, including the availability of toilets, water for flushing, the sewerage network, sewage treatment and provisions for discharge of the treated sewage into waterbodies.
• Instead of outlining a programme incorporating these elements, the problem is trivialised by shifting attention away from the inaction of the government by asking restaurants to open their toilets to the public.
• Since many restaurants are normally open only during meal times, this, in any case, is not a solution round the clock.

What could be done?

• The solution lies in building more public toilets and ensuring they are properly maintained and financially sustainable.
• Most public toilets are single-storey buildings; they could easily have another floor of toilets, thereby doubling the capacity without any need for additional land.
• Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, is a good example. It has several toilets for the public on all its floors, which are used by visitors and staff from different stores in the mall.
• The maintenance contract is given to an outside agency and the toilets are kept clean.
• There is no user charge and the costs are recovered from the rents that shops pay to the mall authorities.
• So, it should be possible to do something similar in the markets of different Delhi localities.
• Another possible approach for the SDMC would be to use public-private partnership, not only to build toilets, but provide and/or fix the different links in the supply chain of managing and disposing waste.
• Sewage treatment plants can also be built on land leased by the government and capital invested by the private sector.

Source: The Indian Express