Maharashtra's Pandarpur town to have world's largest toilet facility

By Aakash Kumar Pandarpur (Maharashtra), July 6 (ANI): Maharastra's temple town Pandarpur is all set to have world's biggest toilet facility to cater to the every day needs of three lakh pilgrims who throng the place to seek blessings of local presiding deities. Giving a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious "Clean India Campaign", the NGO Sulabh International has constructed a cluster of eight mega toilet apartments consisting of at least 1,417 toilet units in the vicinity of the famous Vitthal Temple in Pandharpur in Maharastra. With the opening of all eight toilet buildings, it is estimated that around 1.5 lakh people could use the toilets daily. Besides, a provision has been made to provide bathing facilities to several hundred persons simultaneously. This project has been financed and supported by the Maharashtra Government. Speaking on the occasion, founder of the NGO, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, termed this project as a landmark in the world. "The Prime Minister's dream of 'Swachh Bharat' can be fulfilled only when both states and the Centre work together," he said. He also asserted that the menace of open defacation could only end when there are toilets. Th toilet complexes are situated around the vicinity of famous temple town which witnesses massive congregation of lakhs of devotees on every alternate month round the year. Four buildings were operational for the last one year and now four more such structures are going to be operational ahead of the "Yatra", one of the famous religious rituals of the state. With the completion of all such mega toilet blocks, the ambitious project has attained the status of the largest toilet facility of the world. Each of the newly built buildings consists of 282 toilet and bath compartments and provides the facility of lockers as well as changing rooms for devotees. "So far, we have completed the first two phases and by the end of next year there will be total 2,858 toilet blocks," said Dr. Pathak. The Sulabh founder believes that to make India open defection-free by 2019, funds are needed. He said that nearly 12 crore toilets are required to be built by 2019 to realise the dream of the Prime Minister. (ANI)