Devendra Fadnavis says Maharashtra is 'open-defecation free', activists reply 'what s**t?'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday claimed that rural Maharashtra is now open-defecation free. The CM also said that the state has constructed the highest number of toilets in the country. "Maharashtra has built maximum number of toilets in the last three years compared to all the other states," Fadnavis said. Earlier, the CM had declared urban Maharashtra ODF in October 2017.

However, activists literally cringed at the government's latest claims. A majority of the activists said that instead of throwing numbers, the politicians and bureaucrats should check the ground reality. As per the 2011 population census, Mumbai's population stood at 1.24 crore.

"Even today, you can see people defecating in the open at Malad-Malwani, Mankhurd-Govandi, Antop Hill, Mahim, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Kurla and Andheri along railway tracks every single day," said an activist on the condition of anonymity.

BMC additional municipal commissioner, Vijay Singhal said, "Now, Mumbai has 1.40 lakh toilet seats. We also have Good Morning Squads working every day to stop people from defecating in the open."

Mumtaz Shaikh a Right to Pee activist said, "The BMC is only throwing numbers at us but has anybody bothered to check the ground reality? They have increased the toilet seats but how many people are actually using them? Also, a majority of the toilets are not maintained well. The city needs at least five to seven years to be ODF." Shaikh added that the ODF claims made by the politicians and bureaucrats are fake.