29,000 'Aspirational Toilets' to be built across States under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

NEW DELHI: Under its flagship Swachh Bharat MissionUrban (SBM-U) 2.0, the Centre is encouraging all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to expand public toilet (PT) infrastructure at tourist destinations, high-footfall areas, and religious sites to meet growing sanitation needs. It has also been recommended that these facilities be classified as Aspirational Toilets. So far, 29,000 Aspirational Toilet seats have been approved under SBM-U 2.0. The mission aims to significantly enhance the user experience of public toilet services, supported by innovative models and solutions designed to ensure their long-term sustainability, said officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The aspirational toilets include smart features, user-friendly designs, accessible-inclusive infrastructure,gender-neutral, child-friendly facilities and environmentally sustainable technologies. Across the nation, aspirational toilets were inaugurated on Wednesday on the occasion of World Toilet Day. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (5,131), Maharashtra (4,385) and Tamil Nadu (3,562) have the maximum number of Aspirational toilets. On the occasion, Sulabh International and World Toilet Organisation kick-started the three-day World Toilet summit with global stakeholders to accelerate sustainable sanitation, in which Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Patil were present. Speaking on the occasion, Manohar Lal called for global cooperation on swachhata and sustainability. Across India and around the world, better and cleaner toilet systems are being put in place. In our country too, mindsets are changing and must change. After all, cleanliness is not judged by a tidy home or bedroom, but by the condition of ones toilet, he said. He also stressed the need for wastewater treatment, reuse, cleaner toilets, and faster behavioural change. He further underscored early sanitation habits in children and the importance of waste-to-wealth and circularity under SBM-U. Marking World Toilet Day, the ministry also launched Toilet Paas Hai & Main Saaf Hi Achha Hoon - a year-long advocacy drive to champion responsible toilet use. It is aimed at promoting responsible toilet use and hygiene habits across communities. A range of advisories and training resources has also been released to strengthen urban sanitation efforts, including specialised training modules.