BMC data suggests that for every 835 Mumbaikars, there is just one toilet for the differently-abled
Mumbai has just 163 pay-and-use toilets for the differently-abled, which seems to clearly suggest that the richest civic body in India, seems to act very poor when it comes to the needs of the differently-abled.
A recent report released by the NGO Praja Foundation highlighted that toilets for the disabled accounted for just 1 per cent of all public toilets in the city. As per the data obtained from the Solid Waste Management department of the BMC by Praja, there are 10,778 toilets for men and 3,909 for women, which means that for every 66 men's toilet and every 23 women's toilets there is one toilet for the differently-abled. Meanwhile, there was just one toilet for the differently-abled for every 835 Mumbaikars.
The data shows that in the City zone, there are 70 toilets, Western suburbs have 60 toilets while Eastern suburbs have 33 toilets. Also of the 24 wards, there were just seven wards with differently-abled toilets in double digits, with P/North ward leading with 22 toilets, while there were 13 wards with less than 5 toilets dedicated to the differently-abled and three wards with no toilets for them at all.
A city-based architect said that while BMC asks its contractors to build toilets that can be used by the differently-abled, they fail to monitor the way it is built. "Designing a toilet for the disabled is a different skill and requires understanding as well as following guidelines so that it can be used by any person suffering from 10 per cent to 90 per cent disability. But unfortunately for the BMC, at the moments, the facility is limited to only providing ramps," he said.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner (Soild Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar said that all new toilets being built by the BMC will be constructed in a way that they are disabled-friendly. "Also, for the existing toilets, we have built ramps and even provided disabled-friendly chairs. We are monitoring this issue and trying to provide the best solutions possible," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Public Toilet")
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}