Nagpur civic body split over Mominpura smart toilet ground-breaking

A dispute has broken out among elected representatives over Nagpur's first aspirational smart toilet, to be built in the Mominpura area in the heart of the city. The ground-breaking ceremony and banner inauguration for the toilet were held on Saturday, credited to an initiative by corporator and standing committee member Waseem Khan of ward number 8.

But corporator Siraj Ahmed and corporator Syed Muskan objected to the event. Both said they feared the construction would waste government money. Present at the ground-breaking were West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre, leader of opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar, corporator Atul Kotecha, corporator Syeda Nizamuddin Ansari and corporator Abhijeet Jha, along with several other elected representatives. Elderly residents and ordinary citizens from the area were also present.

MLA Vikas Thakre said the toilet was the result of Waseem Khan's persistent efforts, adding that the project was approved only after repeated contact and follow-up with officials. Khan called it the first step towards fulfilling promises made to the public before the elections. He thanked mayor Neeta Thakre, the district collector, the municipal corporation commissioner and the MLAs.

The smart toilet is claimed to have separate facilities for women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities, along with a baby feeding room, CCTV, cleaning arrangements and better ventilation and lighting. Khan also assured that the project would not affect the livelihoods of small shopkeepers, and that they would later be given proper shop facilities.

Corporator Siraj Ahmed and corporator Syed Muskan said a plan to widen the road from the Mominpura entrance gate to Babbu Hotel to 60 feet had already been proposed for the site where the toilet is being built. They said it was not right for the municipal corporation to spend money on the toilet in that case, and that if it later had to be removed during the road-widening, it would amount to a waste of government funds.

Both corporators said in unison that the work was being carried out without their consent. They demanded that the road-widening be completed first, and that a decision on the smart toilet be taken only after that. They said they were not opposed to development work, but wanted proper planning and public interest to be given priority.