Building separate toilets for transgenders on fast track basis: Delhi govt to High Court

National

The Delhi government has informed the High Court that the state is making all efforts to facilitate the creation of separate toilets for Trangenders and the task will be done quickly. The state also informed that 505 bathrooms targeted for people with disabilities (PWDs) have been marked for use by transgender people.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Subramonium Prasad granted six weeks time to the Delhi government to file a status report informing the court about the new toilets constructed for the use of transgenders/ third gender persons. It listed the matter for further hearing on November 14.

The petitioner, Jasmine Kaur Chhabra, a law student appealed for the construction of separate restrooms for the third gender on the grounds that the lack of such restrooms made transgender people more vulnerable to sexual assault and harassment.

According to the appeal, despite funding from the Center, no separate restrooms are being built in Delhi for the transgender or third gender population, which is in violation of the Supreme Court’s directives.

The Center, the government of Delhi, and the municipal authorities had previously received notice from the high court on the petition. The Delhi government, in the latest status report, said that nine new toilets have been created, 56 toilets are under process, and six are yet to start.