Nagpur: In a significant development in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the condition of public toilets in the city, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has permitted the petitioner to conduct a physical inspection of several public toilets maintained by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to verify the civic body’s claims regarding their cleanliness.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justices Anil S. Kilor and Raj D. Wakode while hearing Public Interest Litigation No. 26 of 2025 filed by petitioner Adv Sundeep Badana.
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During the proceedings, the NMC submitted a report along with 1,127 geotagged photographs of urinals and community toilets across the city’s ten zones. According to the civic body, the photographs were provided as part of the court’s directive to place on record material showing the locations and condition of public and pay-and-use toilets in Nagpur.
However, it emerged that all the photographs were taken on just two dates, September 29 and 30, 2025. The petitioner argued that the exercise appeared more like a one-time photo documentation for court purposes rather than evidence of regular maintenance, as the agreements with private agencies mandate that toilets should be cleaned three times a day.
Taking note of the submissions, the court recorded the petitioner’s willingness to personally verify the condition of the toilets mentioned in the report.
The bench directed the NMC to depute concerned officers to accompany the petitioner during the inspection scheduled for March 27, 2026, so that the accuracy of the civic body’s claims can be validated on the ground.
Earlier, the court had asked the civic authorities to provide details regarding the location of community toilets, photographs of each facility, and copies of maintenance agreements with agencies responsible for their upkeep.
In its reply, the NMC stated that many public toilets were constructed based on the needs of specific localities and market areas even before the Union government issued an advisory on public and community toilets in 2018. Following the advisory, the corporation conducted a survey and proposed 36 additional pay-and-use toilets, of which six have already become operational while several others are under construction.
The civic body further informed the court that under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, financial assistance had been provided to 13,437 households in Nagpur to build toilets at home, with a total subsidy of Rs 15.52 crore, which has helped reduce dependence on community toilets.
NMC also acknowledged certain discrepancies pointed out by the petitioner, including repairs at some facilities and the closure of the toilet near Ambazari Lake following construction work after the September 2023 floods, stating that a new facility is being built about 500 metres away.
After hearing the parties, the court directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on April 2, 2026.
