Gautam Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai

Community Composition: Heterogeneous.

General Description: Govandi is a huge slum in Bombay where SPARC is building a huge toilet + Bath Complex. It was an open wasteland when it was initially formed around 40-50 years back. Now there are more than 1000 houses in the area.

Sanitation Situation:The community we spoke to had a new toilet block construction happening in its vicinity. The old toilet block (12 seats total, overflowing, inept-sized septic tank) was demolished and contractors hired by SPARC and funded by the BMC were building a bigger better toilet block (2 stories high, 16 seats for men and women, bathing booths, etc). The proposal for the toilet took 1.5 years to reach a state of finalization and the toilet when we last saw it was in 8 months of construction. The toilet will cater to around 350-odd homes (1:50 toilet to person ratio) and every household will be given a pass @ Rs. 20 per month for the new block

Top Reasons to Choose This Location/Unique Aspects:

1. Even though a new/better toilet complex was being built, people had contrary viewpoints.- Political issues: different councilors from different parties – not all were involved positively- Some people sent letters to the municipal corporation asking them to stop construction- This set of people feels that the toilet gets constructed only because of the money (making

involved)- Some people said that they weren’t consulted in this process of toilet designing/ building

2. The residents had an issue with the common entrance for both ladies/gents in the toilet being constructed (and if it will get it changed towards the end of this) but aren’t raising this officially because of the fear of the project coming to a standstill3. A 9 person committee of the locality that manages the sanitation facility called Prabhujan Samajik Sanstha took the initiative of revamping the old toilet and building a new one in its place.4. The residents were very open to share the pros and cons of having a huge toilet facility.5. During the construction period, people had to find alternate/temporary means of defecating. Most of them went to the public Sulabh-like toilets on the main road. It will be interesting to see how people

undergo this sort of temporary transition period when new toilet structures are being built for them.