Lack of proper public toilets in city disgraceful: HC

Delhi High Court on Wednesday termed as “disgraceful” that many people in the national Capital defecated in the open due to lack of public toilets and asked civic bodies and Railways whether adequate community latrines have been constructed by them.

A Bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva issued the direction to the municipalities, Delhi Cantonment Board and railway authorities after the court was told there were not enough toilets and latrines in the city.

The court was also told these authorities were required to construct adequate number of community sanitary latrines as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act of 2013 and that too within three years of commencement of the legislation.

It was also told that to use the existing public toilet facilities, people were being charged money and the poor cannot afford to pay on a daily basis, especially those with large families.

The court, thereafter, directed that the affidavits should also indicate whether the authorities have any policy for charging people using public toilets.