Devendra Fadnavis Flaunts ‘Open Defecation Free’ Status Granted to Mumbai; Residents Question Claim

Reports also suggested standoff between the BMC and the Central government authorities deprived city of attaining complete sanitation.

Mumbai, July 9: Mumbai was declared Open Defecation free City on Friday. The declaration was flaunted by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis but the ground realities reveal a different story about the open defecation in the financial capital of the Country. Some investigation reports by local newspapers reveal a dark picture about the state of public utilities in the City. The reports not only claims residents of several parts of the city particularly the slums are entirely dependent on the big drains and railway tracks to relieve themselves.

The Quality Council of India on Friday announced Mumbai an Open Defecation Free city. Oficial in the government says the criteria for declaring a city Open Defecation Free is the city must have a toilet in the range of 500 Metres and the people defecating in open will be penalised. However, City’s civic body in December last year conceded the city still struggles with open defecation which were beyond its jurisdiction like Railway tracks and Aarey lands. Reports also suggested standoff between the BMC and the Central government authorities deprived city of attaining complete sanitation. [Also Read: NGT bans open defecation, waste dumping on Yamuna floodplains]

Great news for Mumbai !
Congratulations to all Mumbaikars!
Mumbai becomes Open Defacation Free (ODF).
Good job BMC and Shri Ajoy Mehta ! pic.twitter.com/WfIQJQmeSs

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 7, 2017

Oh, i get it!!! I think he meant to say “Open Defecation is Free” in Mumbai! #ODF #BringYourOwnLota #TurdWorldProblems

— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) July 7, 2017

 

If Bombay is open defecation-free then it is also crime-free, pollution-free, pothole-free, traffic-free and coffee shop free.

— Rohan (@mojorojo) July 9, 2017

Even the civic bodies brought Salman Khan to use his popularity to raise awareness against open defecation but the results seems flat on the ground. This Apart, Aam Aadmi Party too ran a social media campaign to refute the claim and requested users to post photos to prove the reality.