Delhi High Court Pushes for Unified App to Address Public Toilet Complaints
The Delhi High Court has called for the creation of a unified application to record complaints about non-functional or unhygienic toilets in the capital. The court’s intervention highlights a pressing issue: inadequate sanitation infrastructure, which continues to impact the daily lives of Delhi’s residents.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard a petition concerning the lack of proper maintenance in public urinals and toilets, which are often unclean, poorly maintained, and lacking essential facilities such as clean water and electricity. The public interest litigation (PIL), filed by the Jan Sewa Welfare Society, drew attention to the consequences of such neglected facilities, including public health hazards and general discomfort for the citizens. In response, the bench urged the three major civic bodies in Delhi—the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)—to collaborate on developing a common app for the public to report issues regarding public toilets. The court expressed hope that this unified platform would streamline the process of lodging complaints and lead to faster resolutions for citizens.
“Such an app would make it easier for residents to report non-functional toilets or those in poor condition, enabling the authorities to act swiftly,” the bench noted. The court ordered a meeting between the acting vice-chairman of DDA and municipal commissioners of NDMC and MCD to explore the feasibility of creating a shared application. This is set to be discussed further during the next hearing scheduled for April 9, 2025. The PIL raised concerns over the unsanitary conditions of public toilets, with many facilities reportedly lacking basic hygiene standards. This neglect not only contributes to an unpleasant public environment but also poses significant health risks, potentially leading to the spread of infectious diseases. The general public, particularly in busy urban areas, frequently struggles with the absence of functioning, clean toilets, leading to a lack of sanitation and dignity for many.
In its status report, MCD claimed that a third-party audit had been conducted, and the overall condition of the toilets was deemed satisfactory. However, the report also mentioned that the municipal body had launched its own app for receiving complaints. Yet, the court found that having separate apps for each agency could be confusing for citizens and could delay action on complaints. Therefore, the court suggested the development of a single app that could be used across all three agencies to address issues promptly. The court also directed MCD to publicise the availability of their app, encouraging residents to report any sanitation problems. However, the broader concern remains: the need for greater infrastructure investment and efficient management to ensure the consistent availability of hygienic and accessible public toilets across Delhi.
This issue of poor infrastructure is not just limited to Delhi’s public toilets. Across urban India, inadequate facilities, especially in high-traffic areas, remain a widespread problem. The lack of proper sanitation leads to severe consequences, such as unhygienic public spaces, stigmatisation of the underprivileged, and the spread of diseases that disproportionately affect low-income communities. This highlights the urgent need for improvements in urban infrastructure to cater to the needs of a growing population. While the initiative to create a common app for public toilet complaints is a step in the right direction, it underscores a larger issue of urban infrastructure inefficiency. The public’s concerns, raised through PILs and complaints, reflect a dire need for systematic improvements in sanitation, accessibility, and hygiene across the nation’s cities. Addressing these issues promptly and effectively will not only improve public health but also restore dignity to citizens.
