‘Hosting Olympics? First Fix Toilets': Delhi HC Slams Civic Bodies For Dirty Public Amenities
The Delhi High Court criticized civic bodies for failing to maintain public toilets, calling the situation "hurting and unfortunate".
The Delhi High Court pulled the city's municipal bodies for failing to maintain public toilets and said the situation was 'hurting and unfortunate", according to a report by the Times of India.
The report said that the High Court accused the civic agencies of 'complete apathy and insensitivity". The comments came when a division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard a PIL filed by Jan Sewa Welfare Society.
The NGO sought directions for clean and functional public toilets equipped with basic amenities like water and electricity across the city.
'We are staking claim to host the Olympics, and we don't even have clean public toilets in the city," the bench observed, voicing deep concern over the condition of Delhi's sanitation infrastructure.
The court criticised the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for their 'complete apathy, insensitivity and even dereliction of duty" in maintaining public conveniences. 'These agencies need not be reminded repeatedly that under law it is their primary responsibility to provide adequate public conveniences," it said.
While the civic bodies had submitted status reports detailing their actions as per earlier court directions, the petitioner's counsel presented fresh photos and media reports showing that the situation remained largely unchanged.
'After all, the municipal bodies and development agencies are created by the legislature for the benefit of the general populace and they function on public money. It is hurting and unfortunate to note the conditions of toilets," the bench said, questioning whether officials in charge of sanitation had ever used the facilities themselves. 'If they were forced to use them, these conveniences would be 'spanking clean' in no time," the court remarked.
Noting that the burden is greater on women, the bench said, 'Given such a state of public utilities available in the city, the problems being faced by women get compounded for obvious reasons."
The court has now directed MCD, NDMC and DDA to escalate the issue to the 'highest level" and come up with expert-driven, comprehensive plans for maintaining public toilets. These plans must be actionable and ensure that public conveniences are functional at all times.
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Shankhyaneel Sarkar
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July 03, 2025, 20:40 IST
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