NEW DELHI, May 13 -- Beneath the bright lights and commercial glamour of Connaught Place lies a reality that sharply contradicts Delhi's repeated claims of cleanliness and urban upkeep. An inspection of five public toilets managed by New Delhi Municipal Council exposed severe hygiene failures, poor maintenance, and an alarming neglect of women's sanitation facilities.
Out of the five toilets inspected, only two were found functioning properly. One remained locked, while another lacked even basic necessities such as jet sprays or washing mugs, rendering the western seats nearly unusable. Soap dispensers stood empty, sanitary napkin vending machines had no napkins, and broken dustbins overflowed with waste raising serious concerns over public hygiene and the spread of infections. The condition of women's washrooms appeared significantly worse than men's facilities. In several locations, women's toilets were either locked or combined with toilets designated for persons with disabilities, forcing both groups to share a single cramped facility. Meanwhile, men's sections had separate urinals and toilet cabins and were visibly cleaner.
Outside one restroom near the Bharat Petroleum station in Connaught Place, a visitor, Sumita, expressed complete distrust in public sanitation. "We don't expect anything from the government nowadays," she said. "Women avoid public washrooms because that's the only way to stay away from infections like UTI."
The stench inside several toilets was overpowering. In some, water supply was absent; in others, dirty water flooded the floors. During the inspection, even a stray dog was found sleeping inside a men's washroom.
Mamta, a sanitation worker responsible for cleaning the women's restroom, revealed that the sanitary napkin machine had remained empty for four months despite repeated complaints to officials. Suffering from dengue herself, with a cannula attached to her hand, she continued working alongside her husband, who cleans the men's section. "We clean these washrooms more than ten times a day," she said, adding that despite constant cleaning, maintenance problems remain unresolved.
When questioned, NDMC supervisor Govind acknowledged that some sanitary machines were empty and assured that refilling would be done "soon." He maintained that attendants remain on duty continuously in shifts from morning till midnight.
The poor condition of Connaught Place toilets reflects a wider civic failure. A 2019 survey found 55 per cent of Delhi's public toilets unusable or filthy, while the Delhi High Court in 2025 criticised civic bodies for "utter indifference" towards public sanitation.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.