No more slumming it as civic body plans hybrid toilets in JJ clusters
The slums existing in the New Delhi areas may soon get a facelift with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) preparing a plan for development of these JJ clusters. The civic body has begun a survey which will encompass the number of families in these slums along with their health status. The NDMC has also planned to revive sanitation facilities in these slums by installing hybrid toilets in the slums.
Inhabited by the who’s who of the Indian political establishment and marked by high-end shopping arcades, the VVIP New Delhi area also has a few ‘blemishes’ in the form of slums. As per the latest figures with the civic body, there are as many as 28 slums in NDMC area which are home to nearly 50,000 people. “Earlier, there were around 32 slums. But a latest survey by our officials revealed that the number has reduced to 28 now. Some small slums near Pillanji and Moti Bagh gradually disintegrated as people shifted to proper houses or moved else where. We are carrying out a survey to get the latest number of people residing in these clusters, in addition to knowing about the health and hygiene of the families,” said a senior NDMC official. Some of these JJ clusters are at Vivekananda Camp near Chanakyapuri, Sanjay Camp, around Talkatora Stadium and Shankar Camp near New Moti Bagh.
Constrained by the inability to change anything in the slums, the council has decided to improve the sanitation system in the area. The JJ clusters are set to get special toilets designed by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). “We are going to install DRDO designed biodigester toilets in the slums. The problem is we cannot touch any houses in the slum or make any major change in these clusters. Out of the 28 slums, 11 fall under various land owning agencies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), land and Development Office (l&DO) and so on. The others come under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB),” added the official. The agency had also recently decided to install water ATMs in these areas. Besides, it has deployed extra workers to clean up these slums.
For ensuring proper health of slum dwellers, especially children, the agency has also launched a health checkup camp which is expected to go on for five months. “The visitors to our camps are tested for anemia, diabetes and dental problems apart from weight, height and blood pressure. Also, we are maintaining the diagnostic data and medical record for proper medical analysis and follow-ups in future,” said another senior official. The NDMC initiative also aims at giving prime attention to children in the age group of 0 to 21 years.
“While checking children we also check for patterns of illness in a child’s family and see if there is any history of chronic illness. Based on the findings, the children who need further medical attention will be looked after. We will take the help of anganwadi workers and local health officials in the areas in the next stage of scheme,” added the official.