SDMC’s Order

Why in news?

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) made it mandatory for all hotels and restaurants in its jurisdiction to give full access to the general public to their toilet facilities.

What the order has said?

• The move is part of a soon-to-be national campaign to make more toilet facilities available to the public, with special focus on women and children.
• The broad ideas are hygiene and security.
• The suggestion came from Delhi Lieutenant Governor who urged SDMC to explore the possibility.
• Restaurant managements have been given the discretion to charge up to Rs 5 per use of their toilets.
• SDMC claims that as a result of the initiative, an additional 3,500 toilets will be accessible to the public.
• By roping in hotels and restaurants along with petrol pumps, it would make as many toilets available to the public as possible.

What is the reaction of the public?

• The decision has produced mixed reactions from restaurant owners.
• One side has complained of an undermining of their ‘rights of admission’.
• Other side has pointed out that it is insensitive to deny access to an individual who needs to use the restroom.
• Both sides agree that the proposed Rs 5 charge to ostensibly cover costs of maintenance and cleaning.

How does the SDMC justified its decision?

• The corporation maintains that because restaurants get health trade licences from the corporation, they are bound to follow its orders.
• Also, a study commissioned by the Centre in 2015 to gauge the progress of Swachh Bharat programmes put Delhi at the 16^th position.
• While on paper, the SDMC has 600 urinals and roughly 400 toilet complexes in its jurisdiction, most of them are unusable.
• Maintenance of the SDMC’s public facilities is poor because the corporation does not have jetting machines that spray water at high pressure to clean the toilets.
• So, in the light of the SDMC order, it is pertinent to consider, the state of its existing public utilities also.

Source: The Indian Express