BMC taking action to improve public sanitation in Mumbai: Maha Minister

Mumbai, July 15 (IANS) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is taking concrete action to improve public sanitation facilities here, Minister Uday Samant said in the state council on Monday.

Member Sunil Shinde had raised the issue through a calling attention motion in the state council.

Minister Samant said that currently there are a total of 10,684 public toilets functioning in Mumbai city and 1,59,036 latrines are available in them.

Looking at this ratio compared to the population, there is one latrine for every 46 men and one latrine for every 38 women.

Out of 1,476 community toilets in 24 wards of the Municipal Corporation, 1,221 toilets (82 per cent) are equipped with water while 1,298 toilets (88 per cent) have electricity connection. In addition, there are 734 toilets on 'pay and use' basis, where both water and electricity facilities are regularly available.

“A report by an NGO has said that there are serious shortcomings in the number of public toilets and the facilities available. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation does not agree with the observations in the report as there is a clear discrepancy between the figures mentioned in the report and the reality,” said the minister.

Under Swachh Maharashtra Mission (Civil) 2.0, 14,166 latrines have been sanctioned to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, out of which 11,166 latrines are being constructed from the Municipal Corporation funds and the remaining 3,000 latrines are being constructed from the Mission funds. The first installment for this construction has been disbursed. Apart from this, 500 urinals have been sanctioned as per the City Sanitation Plan, said the minister.

“The Municipal Corporation has a grievance redressal process to provide facilities to the citizens. Suggestions for improvement will also be made in this regard,” he added.

Meanwhile, minister of state Meghana Sakore-Bordikar told the state council that abundant drinking water will be available after the completion of water supply schemes undertaken under the Jal Jeevan Mission to solve the drinking water problem in Marathwada region. She was replying to a question raised by member Rajesh Rathod.

Minister Sakore-Bordikar said that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a water supply scheme called ' Har Ghar Nal , Nal Se Jal' is being implemented for every city in the state.

The work of these schemes is also underway for the cities of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna in Marathwada. While taking measures to solve the water problem of Marathwada, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also taken up the work of Marathwada Water Grid. She informed that the water problem will be solved after the completion of these schemes.

--IANS

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