The projects include erecting toilet blocks, reconstruction of dilapidated toilets, setting up of five star hotels in 227 wards along the eastern and western express highways.
To ensure that sanitation projects are undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), its Standing Committee chairperson Rahul Shewale has hinted at forming a special task force that would keep a tab in the implementation of these projects in the city.
The projects include erecting toilet blocks, reconstruction of dilapidated toilets, setting up of five star hotels in 227 wards along the eastern and western express highways.
"In view of the long pending sanitation projects in the city, I propose for a sanitation special task force for Mumbai, especially, for this purpose that would keep an eye on these projects and ensure that they are completed on time," Shewale said.
Out of the 35,000 toilet seats to be built by the year 2011, only 1,538 seats have been built yet in the last five years since 2005.
Even the 35,000 toilet seats promised have taken a lifetime to come. When the project was envisaged, the demand must have been that of 35,000 seats but now the demand must have surely increased, Shewale said.
Quoting, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP's) Human Development Report of last year, that said there was a deficit of 64,000 toilet seats in the city, Shewale said, "Only 14 per cent of the toilets have some water."
"Outbreaks of malaria, leptospirosis, diarrhoea, dengue, and hepatitis are just some of the diseases attributed to poor water and sanitation facilities. Dharavi has severe problems with public health, due to the scarcity of toilet facilities," Shewale said.
There is a list of other sanitation schemes including setting up of five star toilets in each of the 227 wards, renovation and reconstruction of many old, dilapidated public toilets among others.
"Despite being given a budgetary grant of Rs91 crore for setting up five-star toilets in all the wards, the project hasn't seen much progress on ground. For reconstruction of toilets, Rs 20 crore has been allocated but not a single toilet has been taken up for renovation under this scheme," he said.
"Looking at the delay, I propose that a special deputy municipal commissioner (DMC) be appointed to be in-charge of the task force, which will be headed by the Standing Committee chairman and whose implementation report will be presented to
the committee itself every three months," Shewale said.
"It's high time we give top priority to sanitation projects," he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}