Mumbai: Is sanitising toilets five times a day practical?

Operators say toilets are currently being cleaned 3 times a day. Representation Pic

Is the municipal commissioner's idea of cleaning public toilets five times a day practical? It will not only create a great inconvenience to citizens as toilets would remain shut for hours together, but also, the funds required for the clean-up may be passed on to users. This would mean that all toilets would become chargeable and of use to a limited number of citizens.

Following Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's rap over cleanliness, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had asked his team to clean public toilets five times a day. However, many in the know said the move would create inconvenience for citizens as toilets would be shut for nearly three hours for cleaning operations and also the cost of usage to users would be hiked. The additional cleaning would need more money, which may be passed on to users.

Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde had slammed the BMC over unclean public toilets and ordered officials to get all public toilets cleaned five times a day. Accordingly, Chahal ordered that all public toilets be cleaned and sanitised five times a day. The civic body has even started issuing notices to public toilet operators in this regard. Toilet operators, however, feel that two or three cleanings would suffice.

A community-based organisation (CBO) that operates public toilets said cleaning and sanitised five times is not practically possible. "We would need to keep the toilet closed for at least 30 minutes every 3 hours, which is not possible. The number of toilet blocks is already less and their usage is very high," said a CBO operator who did not wish to be named. According to the operator, the current monthly cost of cleaning toilets amounts to between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000. "If we increase the frequency of cleaning, the cost will double," he added.

Satish Bhosle, the operator of CBO toilet in Vikhroli East, said that he had received a notice from the BMC regarding the additional cleaning and sanitisation of toilets but it isn't practical. "It will be costly for us and indirectly for residents of the locality. Currently, we clean the toilets 2-3 times a day and recover Rs 60 to Rs 100 from every household as per the family size. If we started cleaning five times a day, we need to shut down the toilet and it would cause an inconvenience to residents. Also, the operating cost will increase and we need to recover it from people," he said.

Pay & Use Toilet Operator Association Secretary Kishor Chavawda was also of the same opinion. "We would need to increase the cost for usage. Currently, the urinal is free of cost and the toilet is charged at Rs 5 per use. But, if the BMC wants the toilet cleaned five times a day, it will increase the cost. How can we manage at the same cost," he said, adding that it is not practical.

Rs 10-12k
Current cost of cleaning toilets