Lok Sabha Question No. 584 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-19
Subject: Public Toilets
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

No. 584

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 584

TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 19, 2017

## PUBLIC TOILETS

SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  considers  it  necessary  to  have  clean toilets for public use at all the offices and public places;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has issued necessary directions to all the local bodies in this regard;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  achieve the target  of  constructing  community  and  public  toilets  by  the  year 2019?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

(a)  &  (b):  Yes,  Madam.      The  Government  wants  to  ensure  the

- cleanliness of Public Toilets (PTs) and has instructed all the State Mission Directors of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) and all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to accord top priority for ensuring sanitation and upkeep of all PTs at all times.

Contd…2

- (c):    Government has taken the following actions to ensure proper maintenance  and  cleanliness  of  all  Community  and  Public  Toilets (CTs/PTs):-
- (i). Instructions have been issued to all State Mission Directors of  Swachh  Bharat  Mission-Urban  (SBM-U)  to  carry  on  public  toilet cleanliness  drive  under  which  all  CT/PTs  are  inventoried,  issued unique IDs, and renovation / repair work is taken up to make every CT/PT  functional,  with  water  availability,  and  made  gender  and disabled-friendly, with sufficient lighting and security.
- (ii).  In  order  to  enable  the  users  to  submit  their  feedback  on cleanliness  of  the  toilets,  instructions  have  been  issued  regarding installation  of  Information  Communication  Technology  (ICT)-based feedback mechanism and uploading all PTs  on Google Map.
- (iii). A special feature in the Swachhta App on mobile has been launched  to  enable  uploading  the  picture  of  unclean  toilets  for communication and remedial action by the concerned ULBs.
- (iv). Government has been running various mass media campaigns to promote the message of responsible usage of Public toilets, to keep them clean and fit for use by the next user.
- (v).  In  the  Open  Defecation  Free  (ODF)  protocol  followed  by Government for  certifying  ODF  claims  of  ULBs  through  third  party verification,  the  third  party  assessors  verify  the  functionality  of Community and Public Toilets.
- (d):    Under  SBM  Urban,  the  target  is  to  construct  5  lakh  seats  of community  and  public  toilets  (in  addition  to  66  lakh  Individual Household  Toilets),  to  address  the  issue  of  Open  Defecation  in Urban  India.  Till  30.11.2017,  2,43,152  seats  of  Community  and Public Toilet (CT/PT) have been constructed and 37,133 are under construction.    Government  has  taken  the  following  decisions  for increasing the pace of construction of CTs/PTs:
- (i). The Central share for CTs was increased from earlier Rs 26,000/- per seat to Rs 39,200/- per seat.

(ii). PTs and Urinals, earlier not covered under the purview of Central assistance, have now  been included under the purview of Central share from SBM Urban, to the extent of Rs 39,200/- per PT seat and Rs. 12,800/- per Urinal.

(iii) Periodic monitoring of construction of PTs is being done.

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