Mumbai: The BMC will soon install prefabricated public bio - toilets at beaches across the city. The toilets will be for men, women and for specially-abled people. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 3.2 crore, and it will be ready for visitors at beaches by the end of January, 2023.
The civic body has plans to increase the number of community and public toilets, especially in slums and high footfall areas. Thousands of citizens and tourist can be spotted on beaches in the city on a daily basis.
Although there are mobile toilets at few places, the toilets did not work for long due to poor maintenance. The BMC has now invited a tender to install bio-toilets on the beaches.
"A bio-toilet does not need to be connected to a sewage line. It uses an ‘aerobic processing system’ to treat human waste. Soon, 27 toilets with a rooftop solar powered unit will be installed," said a civic official of the solid waste management department.
The toilets will be installed at Girgaon, Dadar-Mahim, Juhu, Versova, Madh-Marve and Manori-Gorai beaches. Each unit on beaches will have 3 toilet seats for men and women each, as well as one seat for specially-abled people. The work of installation will start within 15 days. It is expected to be completed in three months.
A structural audit of public toilets that are over 30 years old was conducted in 2018. There are 8,500 public toilets in the city. The BMC had made a budget provision of Rs 270 crore for the construction of new public toilets and repair of old ones. The new toilets comprise urinals for children, western toilets for senior citizens and amenities for the specially-abled.
