CM tells agencies to build good public toilets in imp places

New Delhi, Feb 23 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today directed civic agencies to formulate an Action Plan for constructing around 200 good quality public toilets in critical areas, including busy markets, hospitals, bus stops and important roads.

She told Public Works Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council to also ensure that they were well-maintained, besides maintaining strict health and hygiene standards.

She gave the instructions in a meeting attended by Principal Secretary (PWD), Secretary (Environment), Secretary (NDMC), Engineer-in-Chief (MCD) and Chief Engineers of PWD.

Ms Dikshit further called for constitution of a committee to suggest common standards, grading of toilets keeping in view the localities and bidding requirements to enable the government to operationalise well-maintained public toilets before the start of 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The PWD, which controlled 400 km of road length in Delhi had also decided to construct public toilets on important roads as presently one could not find any public toilet on the roads for kilometres in the city.

PWD intends to construct 150 public toilets on its roads. A pilot project to construct of eight public toilets initially was on the anvil, which would set the ground for commissioning more such public toilets on PWD roads.

There were more than 2,000 public toilets in Delhi in NDMC, MCD and Delhi Development Authrity localities. Around 90 public toilets in NDMC and MCD localities were being maintained and operationalised by certain engineering and advertising companies.

It had been observed by an evaluation group that number of such public toilets were not functional and were being used only to earn income through advertisements.

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