Delhi: Slumdwellers get public toilets that don't stink

NEW DELHI : Rani Devi lives in Madrasi Basti, along an active railway line that divides this chaotic cluster from the quiet residential blocks near Jal Vihar, Lajpat Nagar. At 30, she is experiencing a change that has given her a hope of a better life.For decades, she and other women in the basti woke up before dawn and waited for night to be able to go out to defecate in the open along the tracks. A brand new toilet complex built by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board for the 1,310 jhuggis here is creating a new social experience as more and more families are exploring the facility with curiosity. It was thrown open last week when chief minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated 810 toilets across Delhi slums.Earlier, women and children were forced to bathe inside their jhuggis. And defecating along the tracks was also a life hazard. DUSIB sought permission from the Railways and set up a 110-seater prefabricated toilet complex. TOI visited this complex and found that it also has separate bathing spaces and an open space for washing clothes. But more than that, the attempt to give the people here a sense of dignity was quite palpable.But also evident were teething troubles. The users don’t know how to use the facility. They still bring water from their homes and don’t know how to flush the toilets. For now, the caretakers have been keeping the place clean.This correspondent found an ageing Lakshmi amma trying to teach her granddaughter to use a toilet seat. The child was nervous. But Lakshmi smiled when asked if the facility was helpful. "It’s good...we don’t have to go to the railway tracks now," she said.Other children were seen playing with water from a tap. It was a unique experience for them to see running water. But the authorities would have to find a way to stop water wastage like this.Savita who works as a domestic worker emerged from one of the toilets to explain the excitement, curiosity, anxiety and even a sense of reluctance in some residents. "It is a big relief to have a toilet as now we don’t have to worry about our safety and security. We can use the toilet any time," Savita said.She, however, pointed out that while many had stopped going to the tracks, many others were still defecating in the open out of habit. That there is a Re 1 charge for using the toilets hasn’t registered among the people yet.A woman walked in to see the toilets. "I am coming here for the first time to see if I can use the facility," she said. She left after 15 minutes. She was satisfied with the facility but said it would be difficult for her to come daily as she lived some distance away.In the bathrooms for women, this correspondent found children. Privacy for them is new. A seven-year-old expressed it well: "Now we won’t have to bathe in front of everyone." Women, however, are still apprehensive of taking a bath here.TOI also visited two other toilet complexes near Ashram that have been around for long. One of them located near a JJ cluster called Pratap Camp in Nehru Nagar area was caught in the midst of a serious crisis on Tuesday.Open defecation isn’t common here as the toilet blocks have become a part of life. These were also renovated about 18 months ago. But toilet training is a serious issue. With water supply being erratic for two days, people started using water from the toilet complex leaving its tanks dry.The overworked water motor burnt out and the staff struggled to put it back. By the end of the day, the toilet was stinking as people had started defecating in the corridors leading to the toilets. Locals say the caretakers have it rough if they object to people dirtying a toilet. Many users, especially children, also break the taps.Some distance away at Adivasi Camp, the community toilet had water again but residents still complained about people leaving the facility dirty.