Community Toilets

As per Swachh Bharat Mission(Urban) Guideline, Under SBM (Urban), it is estimated that about 20% of the urban households in cities, who are currently practicing open defecation are likely to use community toilets as a solution due to land and space constraints in constructing individual household latrine.

Community toilet blocks will consist of a given number of toilet seats, as per requirements, toilet superstructure including the pan and water closet, and a substructure (either an on-site treatment system, or a connection to underground sewerage/septage system) shared by all the toilet seats and facilities for hand wash.

Care should be taken to ensure that these facilities have adequate provision for separate toilets and bathing facilities for men, women and facilities for the disabled (e.g. ramp provision, braille signage, etc.).

ULBs should ensure that all community toilets being constructed under SBM (Urban) are built in tandem with water supply arrangements in ULBs.

For this component, beneficiaries shall be groups of households (“beneficiary household group”) in urban area whose members practice open defecation and who do not have access to household toilet, and for whom the construction of individual household toilets is not feasible. Beneficiary household groups under this component of SBM (Urban) shall be identified by the procedure as designed by the ULB. This may be application based or survey based, with or without participation of community based organisations. Involvement of civil society organisations is to be encouraged. NGOs, Area, Ward or Mohalla Sabha’s may be used for this purpose. Beneficiary household groups will be targeted under this scheme irrespective of whether they live in authorized/ unauthorized colonies or notified/non-notified slums. Under SBM (Urban), tenure security issues are to be de-linked with benefits.

Once a sufficient number of households are identified as a group, the ULB shall identify suitable piece of land adjoining their houses/dwelling and design the toilet block. Efforts should be made to look into all possible sources of revenue generation by leveraging land, use of rooftop or any other means.

Central government incentive for the construction of community toilets will be in the form of 40% Grant/VGF, for each community toilet block constructed. The base unit cost of CTs will be calculated at Rs 98000 per seat, wherein the VGF/ Grant will be upto 40% of the project cost (i.e. VGF/Grant of Rs 39,200 per seat). This will be subject to overall state-wise funds envelope – sum of allocation under IHHL and CTs for the entire Mission period. Remaining funds have to be generated as indicated in para 2.6 above. ULBs may also provide mobile toilets for use as community toilets.

Projects will be prepared and sanctioned by ULBs. In the entire project approval and procurement process, all provisions and procedures as prescribed by respective State Governments for ULBs must be followed in their entirety. The entire approval procedure except for release of Central funds will end at the ULB level. To this end the States are required to empower the ULBs if not already done so. This includes the delegation of powers to allot land (for this purpose) to ULB’s and mechanisms to leverage this land to make the Community Toilet a viable project.

All community toilets constructed under SBM must have a minimum 5 year maintenance contract.

States will contribute a minimum of 25% funds towards community toilet projects to match 75% Central Share. (10% in the case of North East States and special category states).

Norms for Community Toilet: