Top

Slum dwellers unwilling to pay Rs 550 for individual loos

The cost for individual toilets is Rs 3,580

Hyderabad: Families living in Vengal Rao Nagar slum area, Secunderabad, were asked to deposit Rs 550 towards individual toilets under the low-cost sanitation programme for urban poor by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Currently, only a handful of families living in Musheerabad and Kavadiguda slums have individual toilets, whereas the Lambada Basti at Bhag-lingampally and several others are completely dependent on public or community toilets. The beneficiary scheme has attracted a lot of criticism.

The Low-Cost Sanitation Programme for the Urban Poor,= states that families in slums have to pay Rs 550 (Rs 500 as charge and Rs 50 for demand draft). Each toilet (individual) is to cost Rs 3,850. While families in a notified slum must pay Rs 550, the government will pay the remaining cost in three instalments.

The first instalment is to be paid during the beginning of the construction; 25 per cent while the construction is underway; and the remaining amount on completion.

Apart from attracting criticism, there are several technical issues the the project faces lack of space in the slums for individual toilets.

Currently, there are 1494 notified slums in the GHMC area. However, only a small percentage of people are willing to construct individual toilets.

Since the TS government has come into power, the low-cost housing sanitation programme has not been active.

Hundreds of families are unwilling to pay Rs 550 towards the scheme, “Most of us are daily wage workers and paying Rs 550 is a burden. The Municipal Corporation is asking for documents (patta certificate) or possession certificate and also the slums we are dwelling in need to be notified by the state government. That apart, there is limited space to construct an individual toilet,” said J. Veru, of Musheerabad slum area.

( Source : dc correspondent )
Next Story