Locked, unclean, little upkeep: An audit of 16 public toilets across north west, south Delhi

A leaking roof results in a pool of water in the women’s section of the public toilet on Teen Murti Marg outside the famed Pradhan Mantri Museum. The facility, maintained by the New Delhi Municipal Council, has a defunct sanitary napkin vending machine and often inconsistent water supply, especially during the summer.     

Brijesh, 45, who runs a small shop near the public toilet and also uses it frequently, told Newslaundry that it becomes exceedingly dirty on days when there is no water. But poorly maintained public facilities are all too common across Delhi. 

Newslaundry audited 16 public toilets – nine in North West Delhi and seven in South Delhi – out of which 11 had severe issues. Nearly all the toilets had a foul smell, including two NDMC facilities on Africa Avenue and Mother Teresa Crescent and one under the DMRC in Karol Bagh metro station that were relatively cleaner. 

Out of the 12 MCD public toilets that we visited, seven were in a poor state or locked – including the ones in Karol Bagh market, Kamla Nagar, Rajouri Garden Market, Begumpur, Shahpur Jat, Panchsheel Park, and another near Rajouri Garden metro station.   

Our audit took place a year after an NGO called Jan Sewa Welfare Society filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against multiple entities, demanding better cleanliness and maintenance of public toilets in the capital. Among those named in its petition were the union of India, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, the capital’s Public Works Department, Delhi Cantonment Board, Delhi Power Company, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, Yamuna Power limited, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, and New Delhi Municipal Council.

In February this year, the court asked three authorities to get an audit of “their toilets done from central government-empanelled third-party auditors”. The matter will be next heard on November 4. 

But meanwhile, public toilets remain dirty and frequently unusable, especially for women, even in the capital. The city also has 10 “pink toilets” – public-private initiatives for toilets for only women by Plan India, PVR NEST, and the MCD. Of the two “pink toilets” that Newslaundry visited, one is operational in Saket, while the second near Khel Gaon in Shahpur Jat has been locked for two weeks after an issue of a broken water pipe.  

Multiple agencies involved in maintenance 

Complicating the problem is that public toilets in the capital are maintained by multiple entities. 

The NDMC maintains 372 while the DDA manages 261 in its parks. The MCD maintains 192 community toilets and 722 public toilets. 

According to the MCD website, some of its toilets are maintained by the South Delhi Municipal Council, some by NGOs, and many others by companies that bid for tenders, like Planet Advertising and Quess India, among others.  

In October 2023, the Delhi High Court had said the parties involved must “prominently display at conspicuous location at the facility, the name and contact numbers of the agency or contractor responsible for the operation and maintenance of each toilet facility”. Additionally, DDA has an online grievance redressal system, NDMC has a helpline number, and MCD has an online complaint system on its website.

However, out of the 16 public toilets that Newslaundry visited, only one facility in Kirti Nagar displayed contact information for complaints, despite the court order. 

Out of the 16 public toilets we reviewed, all of them had ramps for accessibility, but only three had separate washrooms for people with disabilities. Although the public toilet at DLE Industrial Area in Kriti Nagar had a separate washroom for persons with disabilities, it was locked. 

Ajay, 19, who recently began working as a caretaker of the facility, said that the PWD washroom has been locked since he joined work because its water pipe is damaged. He said that several complaints have been made to the officials at MCD, which maintains the facility, but the repair is yet to be undertaken. 

As per data available on MCD website, two public toilets and 28 community toilets maintained by the MCD are either closed or damaged. Reasons for closure include theft, dangerous conditions, or abandonment. At least eight public toilets are also designated as “aspirational”, which are meant to be “smart toilets” with modern amenities under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Locked, dirty, or no toilets for women 

Out of the two stalls in the women’s facility near the Rajouri Garden metro station, only one was functional and the other was locked. The floor and walls were stained and dirty, and the doors were rusted and in disrepair.

Akhilesh, 40, a regular metro commuter, told Newslaundry that the facility maintained by SDMC, which comes under the MCD, should be clean, as “not everyone can afford to pay Rs 5 every time for accessing a clean toilet. Authorities should ensure free public toilets are clean too.” She said that she uses sanitiser after washing her hands in the washbasin, because it’s usually dirty. 

Another public toilet near the entrance of the Rajouri Garden Market had a “roster for cleaning and maintenance” inside the facility with all boxes ticked off and signed by the “supervisor”. But the toilet stalls were unkempt, and the sanitary napkin vending machine was stuffed with paper and rags. 

A public toilet on Chaudhary Deep Chand Marg in Kamla Nagar had no separate section for women or persons with disabilities. The common facility had fungi on its damp walls, which were also stained brown and red. Locals said that the facility frequently records electricity and water supply cuts. 

Rajesh, 28, a shop owner who uses the public facility, said that often there is no electricity or water, but he still uses the toilet because it is close to his shop. “You can see the level of cleanliness. It seems more like a dumpyard than a toilet.” Other local shopkeepers said the facility managed by the MCD has no caretakers or cleaners. 

The public toilet for women near the local dumpyard in Begumpur, maintained by the SDMC, was locked when Newslaundry visited. Locals said that it has been locked for about two weeks. Meanwhile, the men’s stall was unclean and stinking. It was dimly lit and the walls were smeared with mud, water and foot marks. Vendors with stalls nearby said that there is “hardly any upkeep” of the public facility.

Meanwhile, Gopal, a street vendor preparing for lunch on the wall beside the Shahpur Jat pink toilet, which was purportedly being used as a public toilet, said that a monkey broke the water pipe for the women’s section, and it has been locked since then. He said locals lodged a complaint with the MCD and its officials also visited the facility. But no repair work has been done so far. 

Only paid public toilets clean in Karol Bagh, but not always

In the centre of the Karol Bagh market, the public toilet was unclean and stinking. Pritam, 32, a nearby shopkeeper, said that the toilet is usually in a “terrible state”. “Women shouldn’t use it. It is in a terrible state. You won’t even be able to tolerate its foul smell.” 

The facility, maintained by MCD, has paint chipping off its walls, broken or rickety toilet seats, and a strong stench that spreads in the surrounding area. Sumit, who works at the welding shop beside the toilet, said, “It is difficult to work with this constant foul smell, but what can we do. Many go to the toilets at the metro station instead.” He added that he has never seen anyone clean the public facility. 

The toilet at Karol Bagh metro station is cleaner but charges Rs 5 for every use. Gopi, who looks after the facility, said the stalls are regularly cleaned during his shift from 2 pm till 10 pm. Despite the charge, this facility also had a foul smell. Roshni, a metro commuter, said, “I am ready to pay Rs 5, but even then sometimes it doesn’t guarantee cleanliness.” 

Poorly maintained NDMC facility with staff residing onsite

At the public toilet near Yashwant Palace on Africa Avenue, the stalls were relatively cleaner, but there was a persistent foul smell. Ram, 47, who works at the facility as a cleaner and lives onsite, claimed that maintenance checks are frequent but conditions remain suboptimal.    

Ram, an employee of a private company tendered by the NMDC to maintain the facility, said that at night he unfurls his mat, with a table fan nearby, in the narrow space between the men and women sections of the public facility to get sleep. He said that an official often comes to check the state of the toilet. However, Bhushan, who works nearby, said that the toilet is “sometimes dirtier”, particularly the women’s section. 

Ajay Aggarwal, president of the Jan Seva Welfare Society, which filed the petition at the Delhi High Court with the help of advocates Yogesh Goel and Bankai Bihari, said he has seen improvement in toilets maintained by the DDA, PWD and NDMC. This was after the court ruled last year that it was incumbent upon the civic authorities “to ensure that public toilets and conveniences are maintained with proper sanitation standards” requiring “proactive measures”. 

Newslaundry reached out to the MCD, NDMC and DDA with queries related to the maintenance of public toilet facilities. This report will be updated if they respond.

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