Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a major fund provider for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), has shown its interest in creating community toilet blocks for women and poor in the national Capital. JICA has started the policy level initiative where secretary level discussion will ensure proper policy and programme formulation on this issue.
Its Tokyo-based Country Director is on a three-day trip to New Delhi and has initiated a dialogue on this issue with top officials of the Delhi Government, including urban development secretary Rajendra Kumar. Some concrete policy measures are awaited in the coming weeks. He was briefed by Kumar and Chief Executive Officer of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) on the current status of sanitation facilities for women and the poor.
JICA has been a major fund provider for DMRC and it has supported the Yamuna Action Plan phase I and II and now Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) III is also getting support from JICA. This agency is providing major support for water supply implementation project as part of YAP III.
This is pertinent to note that as part of Yamuna Action Plan phase I, JICA had helped construction of 950 toilets in the Capital in order to stop defecation at public places and ensure cleanliness of this river. Now the agency is contemplating support to the modern toilet programme exclusively for women and the poor.
Of late, there is immense demographic expansion of Delhi in unauthorised colonies and substantial population of this city resides in these colonies.
Though roads and electricity have been provided in these colonies, other basic infrastructural facilities are still missing. The situation is almost similar in several regularised colonies, which were given legal status during the past one decade. Since Delhi is gearing up to emerge as a world-class city, modern toilets for women and the poor would be a significant step in this direction.