08 October,2017 08:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Block donated by actor Salman Khan to Aarey's Madras Pada in June this year, has no water supply and lies filthy and abandoned
Four months after a swanky toilet block was inaugurated by actor Salman Khan and civic chief Ajoy Mehta at Aarey Colony's Madras Pada, it now stands filthy with no water supply and all bulbs missing. Thanks to the deplorable state of the toilet block, local residents have gone back to answering nature's call in the open. One of the residents said, "It was very useful at first. But, today, the toilet is in very bad condition. The lights were stolen, but the BMC is not interested in replacing the lights or resuming water supply."
The filthy toilet today
Last year, Khan had accepted BMC's request to be the face of its anti-open-defecation initiative. According to the BMC, Khan had already donated five mobile toilets to the BMC, with six seats or commodes each. Some toilets were constructed at Aarey through his Being Human foundation. The toilet block at Madras Pada was also built through the foundation and the NGO I Love Mumbai.
Salman Khan and civic chief Ajoy Mehta during the inauguration of the toilet block at Madras Pada in Aarey in June. Pic/Satej Shinde
Sources from the Aarey CEO's office told mid-day that Khan had approached the CEO's office in December 2016, requesting permission to construct a community toilet in Aarey. When permission was denied, Khan had a word with the civic chief. The toilets were inaugurated in June.
BMCSpeak
Chanda Jadhav, ward officer, P-South, said, "I will ask the officials concerned to look into the matter. Necessary steps will be taken to make sure that the cleanliness of the toilets is maintained."
