Our Sanmaan team works with children and families who live in street like situations and are daily wage earners in the Ghansoli and Chembur communities, the team also follows up with families living in other parts of the city as well. Post the lockdown being announced on the 25^th of March, the team began its telephonic follow-ups with the families. One of the concerns shared by the community was that they were still paying for the use of public toilets, while they didn’t have the means to do so. This meant that they would be spending Rs. 5 every time a family member would need to use the toilet or bathroom. Due to living on the streets, they are dependent on public toilets. On the 17^th of April – 23 days post the announcement of the lockdown, the BMC announced that all public toilets could be used free of cost till the lockdown was lifted. 

During the team’s regular follow-up post the 17^th April announcement they informed the families that they can now use the toilets for free. But during a follow-up a few days later one of our beneficiaries shared “Didi, we told them (the toilet managers) that the Government has said that the toilets are free to use. When we told them this, they got angry and said ‘Our homes run on the money you pay us. If you’ll stop paying how will we manage our homes and families?’ Didi, if that is the case, how can we not pay to use these toilets, they force us to?”

One of the most affected communities during this lockdown is the lower-income groups – migrant communities, families living in street like situations, daily wage earners, etc. These communities are also at a greater risk as they are unable to access the basic requirements like ration, toilets, and hygiene. During a global pandemic like Covid-19, hygiene is of great importance and should be given priority. But in a city like Mumbai which houses one of Asia’s largest slums, can hygiene really be made a priority? In 2017 Mumbai was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). But with no money to pay for use of public toilets, those living on the streets and in slums (which lack adequate amounts of toilets) have no choice left, we see children, men and women lined up along railway tracks during the early hours of the mornings and late evenings defecating in the open.

For most of the families living in these communities, sanitizing and washing their hands regularly is not always possible and is the last thing on their mind, especially when something like free access to public toilets isn’t possible. While the BMC may have announced that public toilets are free to use, is there a way to ensure that this is implemented across the city? Shouldn’t all have free access to a toilet especially at a time like this? Shouldn’t the cess collected under ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ go towards building toilets that are free to use for those living in poverty.