Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and North Mumbai MP Piyush Goyal on Sunday inaugurated the HUL Suvidha Toilet Facility in Dahisar, Mumbai.

Speaking on the occasion, Goyal emphasised the importance of dignified sanitation facilities for slum dwellers and highlighted ongoing collaborative efforts to improve civic amenities in North Mumbai.

'We call toilets 'Izzat Ghar' (Houses of Dignity). They play a vital role in India's development journey,' Goyal said.

'It is my wish that every slum is transformed through redevelopment into proper buildings, providing residents with permanent homes and a better environment for raising their families. However, until that comprehensive plan is fully realised, every slum dweller should at least have access to good toilet facilities,' he added.

Goyal further informed that a major initiative has been launched in North Mumbai in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and organisations including Hindustan Unilever (HUL), HSBC, and JSW.

'To this end, we have launched a major initiative in North Mumbai. In collaboration with the BMC, organisations like Hindustan Unilever, HSBC, and JSW are constructing such facility centres at various locations across the city... This is the facility which is built in North Mumbai. A total of 25 facility centres have been built so far. We plan to construct another 100 such centres over the next 3 years,' the Minister stated.

The Suvidha Centre model is a public-private partnership with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), HSBC India and JSW Foundation. While the Centres are co-funded by HSBC India and JSW Foundation, BMC provides expertise and unwavering support in the development and implementation of the Suvidha model, playing a critical role in shaping the model into an inclusive and impactful solution, according to the official website of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL).

The Centres offer safe and dignified access to clean toilets, drinking water, showers and laundromat services to urban informal settlements in Mumbai. Suvidha Centres cater to more than 6 lakh people and have saved over 250 million litres of water cumulatively through water-saving technologies. There has been a 50% reduction in the incidence of illnesses like gastrointestinal, diarrhoea, and Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) in Suvidha users, as per the website. (ANI)