It’s a city where usually the sparkling world of Bollywood, an enthusiastic start-up ecosystem, and the grinding life of corporate’ often make the news. There’s nothing emphatic that is heard from the other corners of life. But guess what? Currently, what is making news in the ‘city that never sleeps,’ is the hype surrounding mobile toilets for women in Mumbai.
And do you know why?
Well, it’s because the much-talked-about mobile toilets for women in Mumbai have apparently walked down Pune’s road, in taking a leaf from the neighboring city, for a refreshing change.
In an exciting piece of developing right from the heart of Maharashtra, it appears that several mobile toilets for women in Mumbai have been shaped out of a normal, unused bus.
In converting a ‘has-been’ bus into a mobile toilet for women, a practice aced by the Maharashtrian city of Pune, Mumbai too, has joined an exemplary practice. But, it ought to be asked, as to what is the inherent feature of the new mobile toilets for women in Mumbai?
Ever thought that they would come with wi-fi connectivity and TVs? Well, embrace the spectacular change now. In just a few days’ time from now, not so much in the distant future, the first mobile toilet for women in Mumbai will be stationed (and will begin operations) at the famous Marine Drive part of the city.
But that told, apart from the features mentioned above, there are also some other interesting additions in these mobile toilets for women. Add-ons such as digital feedback machine truly make this a new-age sophisticated urban mobile toilet for the womenfolk, something hitherto rarely-seen in a vastly popular nation like India.
Also, an amazing feature in the mobile toilets for women in Mumbai is going to be the utility’s emphasis on renewable energy. Wondering how?
Well, these toilets- that will soon be operational in different parts of Mumbai- will function on solar-operated lights, emphasizing on the current government’s encouraging drive to utilize renewable energy.
But here’s how the mobile toilets for women in Mumbai came into place. Recently, around September 9, the BMC had approached the creators of some of Pune’s “Ti” toilets- Sara Plast India Pvt. Ltd. The BMC had asked the corporation to supply, install, and operate the facility in Mumbai.
But an interesting facet of the BMC contacting the Pune-based company was the direction to adhere to several compliances, such as- space, water, electricity connections- all of which were to be provided by the BMC itself. Other conditions included permission to sell hygiene products at the toilet outlet itself-articles directed at women’s hygiene. Steps were also taken to establish an advertising space on the outside of the mobile toilets, in a bid to generate revenue.
It was then that the cost of using the toilet was explored, at a per-person basis, which turned out to be Rs 5 per person.
That said, it is also important to note that these mobile toilets are going to be operational on a revenue-sharing basis with around 90% of the revenue going directly to the operator while 10% allocated for the BMC. But what makes these a vibrant hygiene offering is the fact that the urban mobile toilets are providing a well-rounded urban sanitization offering as well as human help in the form of there being a female attendant, apart from the provision of sanitary napkin disposal machines, wi-fi connectivity, LED screens for social messages, and sanitizer sprays for western toilets. And that there’s going to be a digital feedback machine will help the operators and BMC gauge whether its users are satisfied with the overall offering or not.