Delhi Public Toilets: High Court Calls Hygiene Part of Right to Life

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 22 October, said the right to access hygienic public toilets forms part of the right to life, and proposed that teams of social work students carry out surprise inspections of toilets across the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) area. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma made the observations in a petition by the Jan Seva Welfare Society against the Union of India and others, after the court found that earlier efforts by the civic body had not produced the expected results.

Students to Inspect, Zone Officers Held Answerable

The court proposed that the Department of Social Work at the University of Delhi, the Jamia Millia Islamia College of Social Work and Aditi Mahavidyalaya form teams of male and female students for unannounced visits. The teams would send reports with photographs to the MCD Additional Commissioner in charge of sanitation. If a default is found, the Additional Commissioner must act and hold the Deputy Commissioner of the zone answerable. Students would get an honorarium covering travel, photography and other small costs.

The bench said it is not the court’s role to supervise daily functioning, which is why it suggested an outside monitoring system. It warned MCD officers it would “take serious note” of any failure to fund the project.

Geotagging and a Chennai Pilot Fell Short

The plea concerns the upkeep and hygiene of public toilets in the MCD area, which has 12 zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner. The MCD told the court it had used geotagging to monitor sanitation and later hired a Chennai institution on a pilot basis in two zones, with what it called satisfactory results. The bench disagreed, saying the results did not match the complaints that kept reaching the court.

Action Against Deputy Commissioners if Lapses Repeat

If inspections show repeated failures in structural maintenance or hygiene, the authorities must tell the court what action they propose against the Deputy Commissioner and the Chief Engineer responsible for logistics support. The court said it will pass further orders after hearing the officers’ responses. The case returns to the court on 2 November.

For more court and governance updates, see the Daily Updates section.

Source: Delhi High Court order of 22 October 2026. Also based on reporting by LiveLaw.

Image: LiveLaw.