Mumbai: BMC plans toilets at beaches, but none for transgenders

A BMC public toilet at Girgaon Chowpatty. A transgender person said they face harassment when they try to use public toilets for men or women. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) ambitious project to construct toilets on seven city beaches, has no space for this facility for transgenders. Out of the 27 bio-toilets planned, none are dedicated to transgenders, drawing criticism from the community.

The National Green Tribunal

had ordered the BMC to install bio-toilets on beaches in 2021. The civic body finally invited a tender for the installation of bio-toilets at Juhu, Dadar-Mahim sea shore, Girgaon, Madh-Marve, Manori Gorai Beach and Versova on September 6. The project will cost Rs 3.20 crore. The date for submitting the tender is September 25. But BMC officials claim that due to the shortage of space, they can't construct separate toilets for transgenders.

Sharing the details of the project, a civic official said, "We will set up 27 bio-toilets at seven beaches so there is no need for a sewage network."

According to a source, initially, BMC had decided to have separate toilets for transgenders and for males and females. But the plan was later dropped citing space constraint.

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The source added, "Each cabin will have three seats each for men and women and one for divyang persons (differently abled). As the beaches are in the coastal regulatory zone, we faced space constraints. So we were unable to create separate toilets for transgenders."

When contacted, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav said she will get information about the issue and look into the matter.

BMC criticised

Disha Pinky Sheikh, a transgender activist said, "Transgender people need separate toilets as they face discrimination in public toilets. If BMC can't arrange for separate toilets, at least they can put a notice which mentions that transgenders can use these toilets."

Explaining their plight and the need for separate toilets for them, another transgender person said, "In toilets for men, transgenders face physical and sexual abuse, harassment, and in toilets for women we face social abuse and stigma. It becomes very difficult for us to use public toilets in such situations. If the BMC provides us separate toilets it will ease our problems."

Activist speak

Right to Pee movement activist Mumtaz Sheikh said, "There is a need for separate toilets for transgenders as our society has still not accepted them. The government recognises the third gender, so why doesn't it plan infrastructure keeping in mind separate toilets for transgenders?"

There will be eight toilets each at Juhu and Dadar-Mahim sea shore. There will also be two for Girgaon, Madh-Marve, and Manori Gorai Beach, and five for Versova in the project. Initially, 27 toilets with rooftop solar-powered units will be installed. "The estimated cost of the project is Rs 3.20 crore. As all coastal areas come under CRZ it won't be possible to construct sewer lines, so these toilets will be bio-toilets," said a BMC official.

27
No. of bio-toilets planned by BMC at seven beaches