The scheme, scheme was announced by the deputy Mayor Gopal Shetty two months ago, the BMC entrusted the job of identifying the slums and the space where the toilets can be constructed to four non-government organisation - YUVA, Slum Rehabilitation Society, SIDDHI and Apnalaya. However, majority of the spots identified by the NGO's were rejected by the solid waste department of the BMC on technical grounds.

Deputy municipal commissioner N B Achrekar admitted that the toilets cannot be constructed on the spots suggested by the NGO's as majority of the spots fall under the high tension electric connections or private land or near the drains. The BMC is now trying to relocate the spots and start the scheme at the earliest.

Earlier, the WB was opposed to the idea of demolishing the dilapidated toiletsand replacing them but the BMC managed to convince them as there is hardly any space for the new toilets.

As of now, the BMC has invited tenders for construction of toilets at four places - Padma Nagar, Baiganwadi, Deonar and Shivaji Nagar where the old dilapidated toilets constructed by the BMC will be pulled down and a new one constructed. The final modalities are being worked out, informed Achrekar and added that the construction will be completed in the next six months.

Achrekar informed that the scheme will be financed by the World Bank and the WB had already granted about Rs 100 crores. According to the standard set by the WB regarding the construction, the cost of constructing one block of toilets will cost about Rs 10 lakh. Also, the WB has insisted that the scheme should involve NGO's who will be required to supervise the construction of the toilets.

The scheme did not take off at once because each adult slum-dweller has to pay Rs 100 for the toilets, explained Shetty. He said,``Over theyears people have got used to getting the facility free of cost as the toilets are provided through the MLA's and the corporators fund. Even the water supply and th elecricity bill is borne by the BMC.'' Under the new scheme, the people will have to form societies and maintain the toilets themselves and also pay for the facilities such as water and electricity.

However, the NGO's managed to convince people and 23 such societies have been formed till date and Rs 46,390 collected from them.

This scheme is par of the Rs 1,300 Bombay Sewerage Disposal Project (BSDP), the first of its kind in the country. However, it will no be able to solve the problem of people defecating in the open as the scheme is presently being implemented only in municipal slums which account for only 20 per cent of the total slum population in he city. The slums account for 60 per cent of the total population of the city.

The BMC has also left slums where the state government is likely to implement the Shiv Shahi PunarvasanPrakalp though the number of such slums is not available with the BMC. .