Civic body mulls setting up western-style toilets in city slums

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to set up westernstyle commodes in the slum areas in the city.

The facilities of western toilet are usually not available at the slums. The dwellers, especially the elderly or the sick people face a lot of difficulty while using toilets that do not have commode pan.

"The elderly people often develop certain health complications due to aging. The problem ranges from aches in different body parts which make it extremely difficult for them to use toilet pan of the Indian style. So, we are planning to set up commode pans in the slums," Swapan Samaddar, Member Mayor-in-Council of the Bustee Development department said.

The Bustee Development department has already developed toilet facilities for the slum dwellers, which are Indian-styled.

The children are at ease using these toilets. So, these will remain as it is. "In places where there are a good number of such toilets, we will come up with commode pan facilities presuming that a number of users will surely be the aged ones," a senior official of the department said.The councillors will be responsible for sending proposals to the department, regarding requirements of western toilets in their respective wards.

The Bustee Development department has already decided to come up with modern toilet facilities for women in the city.

It has already written to the councillors of all the 144 wards to identify such places in their respective wards where such facilities can be set up.