Delhi High Court orders surprise audits of public toilets by social work students

In a October 16 order, the Delhi High Court declared that the provision of clean public toilets is encompassed by the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution. Acting Chief Justice Nitin W Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma directed the principals of three Delhi-based social work colleges—Delhi School of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia College of Social Work and Aditi Mahavidyalaya—to assemble male and female student teams for surprise inspections of public toilets managed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The students will compile reports with photographs and receive an honorarium. The court criticized the MCD’s sanitation record, noting that despite its initiatives, hygiene standards remain unsatisfactory, and ordered the additional commissioner for sanitation to take corrective steps based on the reports. It also warned that officials could face action for repeated defaults, and scheduled a follow-up hearing on November 2 to review responses from the colleges and the MCD. Failure to fund the project would be taken seriously by the court.