Mumbai’s public pay-and-use toilets could become more expensive under a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation proposal that would introduce a Rs 1 fee for urinals and raise charges for toilet and bathing facilities across 846 complexes.
Under the proposed revision, using a toilet would cost Rs 5 instead of the current Rs 2, while bathing charges would rise from Rs 5 to Rs 10. Urinals, which are currently free, would also attract a charge for the first time. The proposal has been submitted to civic group leaders and has not yet been implemented.
The BMC said the revised rates were being considered after operators raised concerns about the cost of maintaining the facilities. The complexes are built by the civic body but managed by private agencies and non-governmental organisations. Operators are responsible for cleaning, washing, repairs and the appointment of caretakers, according to a senior BMC official quoted by The Indian Express.
“While the development is carried out by the BMC, the public toilets are managed by private sansthas. They are left to manage the toilets on their own, which entails bearing the costs of cleaning, washing the premises, repairing any small or big damages, amongst other commercial charges,” the official said.
The civic administration said the increased rates would help operators manage rising maintenance expenses, with the surplus from the revised charges retained by them. The proposal is focused on public pay-and-use toilets. Charges at community toilets may remain unchanged.
Mumbai has around 8,173 community toilet complexes, of which 3,110 are managed by the BMC. The proposed changes therefore distinguish between the city’s pay-and-use facilities and its larger network of community toilets, which serve residential settlements and other neighbourhood users.
Alongside the fee revision, the BMC has proposed a policy covering the reconstruction, renovation and repair of existing public toilets, as well as the construction of new facilities. Senior civic officials said the policy would include digital monitoring and a system for addressing public complaints.
The proposed increase has prompted concerns about affordability and access, particularly for poorer residents who rely on public sanitation facilities. Sitaram Shelar, convenor of the citizens’ collective Pani Haq Samiti, said sanitation access was a municipal responsibility under the Constitution’s 74th Amendment.
Shelar also said operators were facing losses because the BMC charged commercial rates for electricity and water supplied to public toilets. He criticised the proposed increase as an attempt to improve revenue rather than address the underlying operating costs. The proposal will require further civic consideration before the revised charges can take effect.
