Nagpur: In order to garner good marks in Swachh Sarvekshan 2024, Nagpur city has to improve in every aspect, including cleanliness and maintaining public toilets in the city. However, the reality of public toilets in the city is totally different. Nagpur city has 182 gardens in all 10 zones but there are only 46 public toilets available in these gardens, revealed a Right to Information (RTI) reply provided by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) here on Tuesday.
RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar posed a query to NMC to provide details about the condition of public toilets and water supply facilities in 182 gardens of the city under RTI Act, which revealed that out of 182 gardens, only 127 have water supply. As per the RTI reply, Laxmi Nagar zone has 43 gardens, highest in the city, of which 30 gardens have water supply through wells and borewells. Whereas out of 43 gardens, only five gardens have toilet facilities.
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Thursday 09 Jan. 2025
Hanuman Nagar zone has 24 gardens, second highest, of which 14 gardens have water supply and just 4 gardens have toilet facilities for the public. Dharampeth zone, which is one of the posh zones in Nagpur, has 22 gardens of which 19 gardens have water supply and 11 gardens have toilet facilities, the highest in the city. Mangalwari (01), Nehru Nagar (02) and Lakadganj (02) zones have the lowest number of public toilets in gardens.
In Laxmi Nagar zone, Major Surendra Deo Park (Dhantoli) garden, which is situated over 4.97 acres of land, has no toilet facility. Toilet is a basic facility which should be provided by the civic body to citizens. However, in Nagpur, only 25 percent of gardens have toilet facilities which should be improved. Normally, citizens visit gardens during morning and evening hours. They use gardens for walking, yoga, exercise etc. Therefore, toilets and water supply is necessary in all gardens.
Last year, Nagpur city took a 38 rank jump in the ‘One Lakh and Above Population’ category in Swachh Sarvekshan 2023, but it failed to get any ‘Star’ in Star Rating. Despite a 38-rank-jump, Nagpur is struggling to break into the top 20 rank in the country and to improve the ranking, NMC should emphasise on construction of public toilets and its cleanliness throughout the city.
