HC seeks Dept of W&CD, SDMC reply on plea alleging no toilets in slum despite Swachh Bharat campaign

The Delhi High Court today sought response of the city government and South Delhi municipal body on a PIL claiming lack of toilet facilities in a slum near Yamuna despite the much publicised Swachh Bharat campaign on cleanliness.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao asked the Department of Women and Child Development and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to file their affidavits as to what action has been taken by them to comply with the requirements of Swachh Bharat mission.

The court was hearing a PIL by three law students, Shabnam, Sonali Chauhan and Nitesh Kumar Mishra, who have claimed in their plea that the slum at Sarai Kale Khan area in south Delhi here has no toilets, bathrooms and anganwadis.

As the Department of Women and Child Development and SDMC were not made party to the plea, the court directed that they be impleaded as necessary parties.

The court had earlier sought responses of the Centre, Delhi government, police, DDA and DUSIB on the plea and directed them to inspect the slum and file a report on the situation there.

The students have said in their plea that the anganwadis were needed to provide nutritious food to the poor and deprived children of the slum.

The petition has claimed that despite thousands of crores of rupees being spent on Swachh Bharat campaign, hundreds of residents of the slum are defecating in the open due to lack of toilets.

The public interest litigation (PIL) also claimed that authorities were not providing the facilities on the grounds that the slum was located on the river bed of Yamuna, despite the fact that there was a power grid and electric crematorium in the near vicinity.

Apart from the lack of toilet facilities, the plea has also claimed that the slum faces drinking water problems due to lack of permanent supply, and tankers never deliver water timely.