Public toilets are perpetually stinking. (Narendra Vaskar) Public toilets are perpetually stinking. (Narendra Vaskar)

While the satellite town of Navi Mumbai has been ranked as Maharashtra’s cleanest city, it is struggling to maintain its status as Open Defecation Free (ODF), with cleaning of public toilets and provision of adequate water and electric supply in public toilets both lagging. Several residents as well as political party workers conceded that many residents have been forced to continue defecating in the open in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai.

In Bomsari village, near Indira Nagar in Turbhe, the gutters are open and completely choked, leading to a continuous stink. “The gutters have been open, completely choked, and overflowing into the streets for years. When we complain to the authorities, the cleaning is carried out, but that is also not done effectively. So the toilets are also perpetually stinking as waste is never flushed away thoroughly,” said Shantabai Bharma, a resident of the area, adding that factory waste from surrounding areas also accumulates in these gutters. Bharma added that though there were two water tanks placed on the roof of the public toilet at Indira Nagar, the taps inside rarely had running water. “The residents have to carry their own water when they use the facility. Electricity supply is also interrupted several times a week. So, people avoid using the toilet at night,” she added.

Mallesh Pujari, another resident, said that some parts of the drains are manually covered with cement tiles. “The stagnant drain water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and diseases,” said Pujari, who suffered from dengue last month. “Because of such poor conditions in the public toilets, the men go in the open and often get fined for it,” said Pujari, who has been fined a few times. He said the women use the toilets out of compulsion, even though they are in bad condition.

Residents of Navi Mumbai are fined if caught defecating in the open. The fine ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 800. “When the toilets are in such a poor condition, people have no option but to defecate in the open. But when they do so, they end up being fined,” said Ismail Shaikh, a Shiv Sena office-bearer in the area.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared urban Maharashtra free of open defecation. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Centre had set October 2, 2017, as the deadline for cities to turn ODF. President Ram Nath Kovind presided over the function at the National Sports Complex of India in Worli where the chief minister made the announcement.

N Ramaswamy, civic chief of Navi Mumbai, said, the “good morning” teams have been set up to keep a check on open defecation in the city. “They take actions everyday and submit report accordingly. I will look into the matter of drainage not being cleaned,” said Ramaswamy. He further said that the civic body needed to upgrade the drainage system for the slums that fall under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area. “We have submitted plans to MIDC, which is the planning authority for such slums. For other slums also, the measures are being taken,” he added.

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