The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court order on public toilets

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Saturday, Feb 03, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

High Court order on public toilets

Staff Reporter

`Make them disabled-friendly'

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to make their toilets physically challenged-friendly and keep them clean.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H. R. Malhotra appointed a four-member committee comprising Delhi High Court Bar Association president A. S. Chandhioke, advocate Ashok Aggarwal and counsel for the two civic bodies and directed it to inspect toilets in Rohini, Karol Bagh, South Delhi, Shahdara South and Civil Lines zones and file a report this coming Tuesday.

Earlier, the MCD counsel informed the Court that it had made some of its existing toilets physically challenged-friendly. However, all these toilets were paid ones, he added.

The NDMC counsel submitted that the civic body planned to make more than 60 of its toilets friendly to the physically challenged.

Pulled up

However, the Bench pulled up the MCD for not keeping the toilets clean in the Karol Bagh area after going through photographs filed by Mr. Chandhioke as a member of an eight-member committee set up by the Court earlier.

The Bench gave another chance to the MCD to improve the conditions at its toilets.

The Bench warned that it would initiate contempt of court proceedings against the civic officials it they fail to comply with its directives.

The Court has been hearing public interest litigation on the unhygienic condition of toilets in the city. The PIL has also brought to the Court's notice the lack of physically challenged-friendly toilets in the city.

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