Public Toilets in Delhi’s Slums: A Haven for Drug Abuse

Social Issues Social Inequalities and exclusion

Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-05-12 08:57:45 |

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In the densely packed slums of Delhi — from Seemapuri to Sultanpuri — public toilets, meant to serve as a basic hygiene facility, have become unintended shelters for drug addicts and peddlers. Instead of being safe and clean, many of these toilets now echo with the stench of narcotics, hushed conversations, and discarded syringe packets.

For residents like Kavita Devi, a mother of three in JJ Colony, the neighborhood public toilet is no longer a place of relief, but a space to be feared. “I hold my daughter’s hand tightly when we go,” she says. “Inside, young boys are often passed out or injecting themselves. Sometimes they threaten us if we complain.”

The Nexus of Neglect and Narcotics

Delhi has over 3,000 public toilet complexes, many located near urban poor settlements. Due to lack of proper monitoring and maintenance, several of these toilets have turned into hotspots for illicit activities — especially drug use.

Most slum residents rely on these toilets due to the absence of household sanitation. However, poor lighting, broken doors, lack of security personnel, and unchecked access have made them breeding grounds for unsafe behavior.

“Addicts use these facilities to hide from police or consume drugs in privacy,” says Ravindra Kumar, a sanitation worker in Jahangirpuri. “We find needles, foil, cigarette butts almost every day. Sometimes they even sleep there overnight.”

Impact on Women and Children

The situation disproportionately affects women and girls. For many, visiting the toilet becomes a daily risk. With no female security staff or functional locks, many choose to defecate in the open during early hours instead — a dangerous tradeoff between safety and dignity.

“I wake up at 4 AM to avoid them,” says Shabana, a 17-year-old resident of Bawana. “We’ve reported it, but no one listens. The staff are scared too.”

Lack of Oversight and Accountability

Despite schemes under the Swachh Bharat Mission and funding by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), oversight is minimal. Contracts are often handed to third-party agencies, many of which fail to maintain cleanliness or employ adequate staff. Surveillance cameras, promised in 2023 after a spate of incidents, remain missing or non-functional in most areas.

Social workers say the problem is systemic. “You cannot build a toilet and walk away,” says Meena Arora, a community activist. “Drug abuse is a public health issue. It needs intervention, rehab centers, not just policing. Right now, we’re just turning our toilets into dens.”

Need for Urgent Action

Experts recommend a multi-pronged response:

Appoint full-time caretakers and female security guards

Install functional lighting and CCTV cameras

Partner with NGOs for addiction counseling near high-risk zones

Create separate child-safe toilets within slums

Regular police patrols during night hours

More importantly, community engagement is key. Empowering local resident groups to report problems and participate in sanitation governance can build pressure on authorities.

A Silent Crisis

Drug abuse in urban poor areas is often invisible, hidden behind broken doors and unattended corners. But its consequences — crime, health degradation, fear — are far-reaching. Until the government recognizes public sanitation not just as an infrastructure issue but a public safety and welfare concern, Delhi’s most vulnerable will continue to suffer in silence.

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