Piyush Goyal Inaugurates Mumbai's 26th Suvidha Centre in Dahisar
Commerce & Industry Minister and Member of Parliament from North Mumbai, Piyush Goyal, virtually inaugurated Mumbai's 26th Suvidha Centre in Sawarpada, Dahisar (E), on Sunday. The newly opened community facility is designed to provide residents with access to clean toilets, showers, laundry facilities, and purified drinking water.
The project was built using corporate social responsibility funds under a public-private partnership model involving the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Hindustan Unilever Ltd, HSBC India, and the JSW Foundation.
The Sawarpada centre is equipped with 29 toilet seats, six laundry machines, and a water purification unit. Under its pricing structure, a family of five can receive unlimited toilet access for Rs 150 per month, while reverse osmosis (RO) filtered drinking water is priced at Rs 1 per litre. Residents can also use the laundry facilities for a 7kg load at Rs 70. These revenue streams are designed to help the centre reach operational break-even in approximately nine months.
Constructed using sustainable design principles, the facility incorporates green steel, green cement, rooftop solar panels, and greywater recycling systems. The structure is also elevated three feet above the ground to enhance flood resilience. Across the city, Mumbai operates more than 25 Suvidha Centres, which collectively serve six lakh people annually with estimated yearly savings of Rs 33,500 crore.
Speaking at the virtual inauguration ceremony, Goyal stated that every resident in North Mumbai should have access to sanitation facilities, adding that he is prepared to build 100 Suvidha Centres if required. He referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 Independence Day speech regarding open defecation and noted that more than 12 crore toilets have been constructed nationwide since the issue was highlighted.
Goyal said that the previous Suvidha Kendra established in North Mumbai serves more than 1,500 users daily. He advocated for future centres to be operated by women's self-help groups.
He also mentioned lake rejuvenation efforts in North Mumbai involving the corporate sector, stating that nine lakes are being cleaned, with work on one completed and another set to commence.
