Soon, people in NCR will be able to locate loos via GPS

NEW DELHI: The Centre has prepared a roadmap to help people find toilets through the 'Google Maps' mobile application. Once the plan gets implemented, people using smartphones will be able to locate toilets just like how they spot a popular restaurant or the nearest ATM

This facility will be available by November-end in the National Capital Region where around 5,100 toilets have already been mapped.Sources said the Union urban development ministry will launch this facility in the second-half of November when the next Swachhta Pakhwada (a fortnight of activities for cleanliness and sanitation) will be held.

The toilets mapped include those at public convenience complexes and commercial establishments such as malls, shopping complexes and petrol pumps.

"At present, people have no information about the toilets that they can use. The new facility will be of great help to women, who face the most awkward situations."

We are also working on how to improve the sanitary condition of all such toilets, including providing users the option to rank toilets," said a government official.TOI has also learnt that a mobile app will soon be launched by the ministry to enable people to rank toilets according to cleanliness parameters.

"Once ranking of toilets by users starts, there will be pressure on the operators to maintain them properly," said the official.

Under current municipal regulations in Delhi, he said, every establishment where more than 20 persons assemble at any time must have an adequate number of toilets and these must be maintained. Failure to provide clean toilet facilities can prompt municipal bodies to take stringent action, including ordering the establishment to shut down.