Three Law Students Fight For Toilet Facilities For Slum Dwellers, Delhi HC Issues Notic...

Page 1 of 3

Evaluate business opportunities and demystify

LSE Managerial Finance finance with modern finance knowledge

CLICK HERE TO READ LIVELAW HINDI- THE FIRST HINDI LEGAL NEWS WEBSITE

Three Law Students Fight For Toilet Facilities For Slum Dwellers, Delhi
HC Issues Notice To Govt [Read Petition]
BY: AKANKSHA JAIN AUGUST 1, 2018 12:47 PM

1.2K Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn More

SHARES

Change Font Size  

Moved by the pitiable condition of residents of a slum cluster in the heart of Delhi who are forced to defecate in open for want of a toilet and live
in pathetic conditions, three law students have moved the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the government to provide them toilet and
healthcare facilities and Anganwadi for women and children to ensure they do not suffer from malnutrition.

Shabnam, Sonali Chauhan and Nitesh Kumar Mishra, second-year law students, moved the petition on which a bench headed by Acting Chief
Justice Gita Mittal issued a notice to the Swachh Bharat Mission Directorate, the Delhi government, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board,
DDA and the Delhi Police Commissioner.

Managerial Finance: earn an

LSE certificate and become
a greater asset to any …
Ad LSE Online

OPEN

They have been asked to file replies within three weeks.

http://www.livelaw.in/three-law-students-fight-for-toilet-facilities-for-slum-dwellers-delhi-h... 8/1/2018
Three Law Students Fight For Toilet Facilities For Slum Dwellers, Delhi HC Issues Notic... Page 2 of 3

Meanwhile, the petitioners argued in person that they were moved to see the deplorable, distressing, miserable and pitiable condition of the
women and children, including other persons, of the slum cluster called T-Huts, Gyaspur, Sarai Kale Khan, Hazrat Nizamuddin, South Delhi
which is home to 124 persons—65 male and 59 female members.

“Despite the said Basti being in the heart of Delhi and adjoining one of the prominent Ring Road of Delhi (i.e. Mahatma Gandhi Marg) it is bereft
of any basic amenities like toilet, bathrooms, anganwadis,” they told the court.

They further argued that, “when such a huge, expensive, large “Swachh Bharat” or “Clean India” campaign is being run throughout the country
and thousands of crores is being spent on the same how could a Basti in the heart of Delhi, having hundreds of families living there for past several
decades continue to defecate in open for lack of a toilet”.

Before approaching the court, the petitioners shot off letters to DDA, DUSIB and the Ministry of Women and Child Development and even the
Prime Minister informing him that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Yojna is not being implemented on the ground.

In 2015, two residents of this slum—Ashok Yadav and Salan Kumar—had sent a letter to the Chief Minister requesting that a toilet be constructed
in the basti.

They say some authorities claimed that the basti falls in the river bed, which, they argue is a “sham, farce and fake ground for not providing the
basic amenities, because while the basti is much nearer to the Ring Road, beyond the basti there is a power grid complex, an electronic
crematorium having been duly authorized by the DDA”.

The petition cited the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) website which says that under SBM (Urban), it is estimated that about 20 percent 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 and that 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.

Submitting that the Constitution of India guarantees right to life with dignity, which includes living in hygienic surroundings, the petitioners
prayed that community toilet blocks be constructed at Gyaspur basti as per the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines.

They also pray that the Department of Women and Child Development be directed to make an arrangement of anganwadis for hundreds of poor
and deprived children to ensure that they get proper nutrition and also provide proper medication and health care to these poor slum dwellers.

Read the Petition Here

http://www.livelaw.in/three-law-students-fight-for-toilet-facilities-for-slum-dwellers-delhi-h... 8/1/2018
Three Law Students Fight For Toilet Facilities For Slum Dwellers, Delhi HC Issues Notic... Page 3 of 3

Page 1 of 43 
WWW.LIVELAW.IN

IN THE HON’BLE DELHI HIGH COURT AT NEW DELHI

(Extraordinary Civil Writ Jurisdiction)
Writ Petition (Civil) No. _______ of 2018
(IN THE MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION)
In the matter of

Shabnam& Ors. … Petitioner(s)

Versus

Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)& Ors. … Respondents

INDEX

S. No. Particulars Page No.

1. Notice of Motion

2. Urgent Application

3. Court Fees

4. Certificate

5. Memo of parties Page 1 / 43

6. Synopsis and List of Dates


1.2K Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn More

SHARES

Topics: Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal | Delhi High Court | Law Students | slum dwellers | Swachh Bharat Mission Directorate | Toilet
Facilities

http://www.livelaw.in/three-law-students-fight-for-toilet-facilities-for-slum-dwellers-delhi-h... 8/1/2018