Now, men and women will have equal number of toilets in Delhi

New Delhi: Keeping in view increasing number of working women, DDA has decided to change the male-female ratio for requirement of public toilets from 60:40 to 50:50, a policy which comes into effect from today for new projects undertaken by the housing authority.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is currently engaged in revision of Draft Unified Building Bye-Laws 2015. In this process, apart from modifying various provisions of Building Bye-Laws 1983, focus has been made to enhance the public toilet facilities for women.

"For DDA, the rules will come into effect from today itself and so all our future projects will comply with this norm of 50:50 instead of the old 60:40 male-female ratio for such facilities," DDA Vice-Chairman Arun Goel told reporters.

In his first press conference after assuming charge about a month ago, at the DDA headquarters (Vikas Sadan) here, he said, "Since number of working women has increased, and also keeping in mind their increasing presence in public places like markets and restaurants, the decision has been taken."

"We had a meeting with representatives from municipal corporations and other other stakeholders, and they have also in principle agreed to implement this. And, once the Unified Building Bye-Laws 2015 are implemented all buildings would follow this norm, but we have implemented it from today only," the vice-chairman said.

The Building Bye Laws 1983 and the National Building Code 2005 had adopted 60:40 male-female ratio for public toilets.

"For example, in cinema halls and theatres, say for a gathering of 500 people, the 1983 byelaws used to prescribe 300 male and 200 females. In that way the requirement of water closets (WCs) and urinal for male would be two WCs and two urinals and three WCs for females.

"As per revised byelaws, for a gathering of 500 people, the ratio now will be 250 male:250 female. So, for 250 males would be four WCs and four urinals, and for 250 female it would now be 11 WCs," Goel said.

Similarly, for institutional building hospital (OPD), for a footfall of 500 visitors, the provision of WCs for women has been increased. So, for from males (3 WCs + 3 urinals) to (5 WCs + 5 urinals) and for females from 4 WCs to 8 WCs.

In shops or commercial offices where earlier one WC per 15 females was prescribed, now one WC per 10 females has been prescribed, the DDA said.

As per new byelaws, in restaurants also the number of WCs for women prescribed has been doubled from the original scheme. Earlier it was a single WC per 50 women and now it is two WC per 50 women norm, it said.