Unused toilet block becomes storeroom for hawkers

A toilet block, constructed recently by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, but unused due to opposition from local residents including film actors, was now being used as a storeroom by hawkers, residents said.
Constructed by the civic body last year, the three room toilets at Bandra Bandstand were closed after complainants claimed that it was obstructing joggers there.
Among those who complained to the civic body included actor Salman Khan's father Salim Khan and veteran actress Waheeda Rehman.few.
"The locks of these three toilets are broken and used by the local hawkers as a storeroom for their wares. Some even take bath inside the toilets because the BMC has not stopped its water supply despite it being locked some six months ago," said a resident.

The toilets were set up from the funds of local Lok Sabha MP Poonam Mahajan, as a facilitator, to make the city open defecation free.
An NGO called Mumbai Youth Forum was appointed to manage it but was yet to get a go-ahead from the BMC, said a person from Mahajan's office.

BMC officials, on their part, maintained that the toilets were constructed by MHADA.
Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP unit chief and MLA Ashish Shelar also promised to look into the matter stating that it was a utility and there should be some amicable solution to the issue.
Local Congress corporator Asif Zakaria targeted BMC alleging that civic officials were well aware of the locations of its toilets and said that hawkers using such facilities was a waste of money.