Ahmedabad: The city hopes to address its public sanitation challenges with an innovative approach: 20 new “aspirational toilets” or luxury restrooms integrated with cafes, retail shops and commercial spaces, each with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore.
The city currently has 333 pay-and-use toilets, approximately 150 public toilets, 40 smart toilets and 15 pink toilets, but citizens, particularly women, frequently complain about cleanliness and insufficient facilities.
On Feb 6, the standing committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) approved a proposal to construct these modern facilities in public and commercial areas. The selected locations include prominent areas such as CG Road, Vastrapur Lake, Sindhu Bhavan Road, SG Road, Gujarat University area and Gurukul Road. The corporation has selected an agency to conduct surveys, prepare designs and provide cost estimates for these new integrated facilities in a shift in its approach to public sanitation infrastructure.
These new facilities will feature modern amenities including water closets, shower rooms, powder rooms, water coolers, sanitary napkin vending machines, incineration machines, hand dryers and baby diaper changing and feeding rooms alongside commercial spaces.
Currently, AMC pays organisations Rs 25,000 to manage each pay-and-use toilet, while public toilets, primarily in slum areas, are maintained by the corporation with an annual cleaning budget of around Rs. 1 crore. Initially managed by the health department, public toilets are now overseen by the solid waste management department.
Ahmedabad was the first Indian city to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in 2016, followed by ODF+ in 2018 and ODF++ in 2019.
However, the city’s 40-plus smart toilets, which require a Rs 5 coin for use, have seen limited usage due to awkward locations, and function primarily as advertisement boards.