The Delhi Government has decided to construct toilet blocks in 700 slum clusters after identifying the shortfall of lavatories in these settlements, an official said here on Sunday.
“The shortage of toilet blocks in jhuggi jhopdi (JJ) clusters has made Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) take it as a mission to provide toilet blocks in all the 700 JJ colonies,” said Amar Nath, CEO, DUSIB.
The decision came close on the heels of the launch of Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2. The mission aims at providing toilets to every family by 2019. The DUSIB has already prepared a database of toilet blocks available in JJ clusters as well as identified the deficit and is actively planning to implement this programme of providing toilet blocks in slums at the earliest, he said.
Besides, Nath said a massive cleanliness drive was carried out at 185 night shelters in various parts of the national Capital. Under the drive, officials and NGO volunteers cleaned night shelters “by removing unrequisite material and garbage,” it said.
To monitor the cleanliness drive, a centralised control room and 11 teams of officers — each headed by a deputy director — have been set up, he added.