Mumbai is grappling with a dire shortage of functional community toilets, especially for women, according to the latest report by the Praja Foundation. The findings shed light on the deteriorating state of sanitation and water management in the city’s slums.The report reveals that nearly 395 million litres of potable water are lost daily due to pipeline leakages.
Although the city receives 4,370 million litres per day (MLD), only 3,975 MLD actually reaches the residents. This falls short of the city’s daily requirement of 4,664 MLD, leading to a deficit of 689 MLD, or 15 per cent.Praja Foundation’s CEO, Milind Mhaske, said, “Mumbai’s water supply system is marred by stark disparities between availability and distribution.”Sanitation access is equally alarming. As of 2024, only one in four public toilet seats caters to women.
In 2023, one community toilet seat was shared by 86 men and 81 women—well above the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) guidelines of 35 men and 25 women per seat. The situation is worse when measured by toilet blocks: one seat now serves 752 men and 1,820 women.Out of 6,800 community toilet blocks surveyed in 2023, 69 per cent lacked water connections and 60 per cent were without electricity. This data was obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Complaints from citizens have also surged. In 2024, over 115,000 lakh civic complaints were registered, up from 67,773 in 2015. Water-related issues accounted for 14,522 complaints, with 44 per cent reporting shortages. Meanwhile, the average time to resolve complaints increased from 32 days in 2023 to 41 days in 2024, despite municipal norms requiring resolution within six days.Praja Foundation is a non-profit committed to fostering transparent, accountable governance through data-driven civic research.
Source: Mid-day
