DCW notice to MCD over acid use in lavs

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has sent a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner over the use of acid in MCD public toilets.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday said it was “shocking” that the MCD had asked toilet cleaning agencies to use acid. The commission has asked the MCD to register an FIR against its officials who were behind this.
On a recent inspection of the city’s public toilets, the DCW had found 50 litres of acid in an MCD women’s toilet complex opposite GB Pant Hospital in Daryaganj. Following this, the commission had issued summons to MCD officials to explain the presence of such a large quantity of acid. The commission had said this was illegal and dangerous as anyone could have accessed the acid and used it in an attack.
The commission said that the staff of Shri Ram Institute of Rural Development, which was contracted by the MCD for maintaining and operating the toilet complex, informed them that they bought acid every month to clean the toilets. “Senior officers from the city zone appeared before the commission and provided a written reply which states that no guidelines have been issued by the MCD to prevent usage of acid for cleaning public toilets. They also informed that the toilets are cleaned by the agency, as per the contract agreement by MCD. Further, they provided a copy of the contract agreement between MCD and the agency,” a DCW statement on Wednesday said.
The MCD’s reply stated that under the contract agreement, if the maintaining agency did not use acid to clean the toilets weekly, they would be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 1,000 per day to the MCD.
“This act of the MCD is in contravention to the directions issued by the Supreme Court of India on the use of acid in the country. In imposing such illegal conditions on the agency, the MCD has encouraged the agency to do an illegal act and has risked the lives of the women and girls in Delhi,” the DCW statement said.
The commission has also sought details of officials responsible for directing the agency to use acid.
DCW chief Maliwal said: “This is very shocking. The MCD itself is encouraging the use of acid in its toilets. The Supreme Court has issued strong directions against usage, sale and storage of acid. But, instead of preventing the use of acid, the MCD is deliberately asking its agencies to use acid for toilet cleaning, which is very unfortunate.”
She said that the terms of the agreement should be amended and an FIR should be filed against officials who have been involved in issuing such directions.
The MCD should also issue strict directions to toilet maintenance agencies to stop using acid for cleaning toilets, she added.