Sun is blistering in its full glory, and you are driving from New Delhi’s Janpath to Noida Sector 18. In between, you feel the need to visit a loo. But how can you search a toilet?
Until yesterday, the only option you had was to ask locals, or keep checking toilet signs on the road; both of which are not the best options when the urgency is intense.
But not anymore.
From now on, if you are in Delhi-NCR, and in need of a loo, then all you need to do is open Google Maps, and search for the nearest toilet.
NDMC-Google Geotag 5000 Toilets In Delhi-NCR
In one of the first such initiative, New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Google have joined forces to geotag 5000 public toilets in New Delhi.
Hence, from now on, any user with Google Maps can easily locate the nearest toilet, anywhere within New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
As part of promoting this initiative, NDMC has launched “Toilet locator awareness campaign”, wherein 5000+ public toilets at petrol pumps, railway stations, Sulabh Shauchalays etc have been geotagged and added to the database.
This contest will run from July 12th to August 11th, and the cleanest toilet among all will be rewarded.
There are 333 toilets directly supervised by NDMC, which has also been geotagged by Google Maps, and available on the search options.
This is seen as a major campaign under PM Modi’s Swachh Bharat mission.
NDMC Launches Smart Toilets
Meanwhile, NDMC has launched their new app called NDMC 311, on which users can access various civic services, and access to the nearest ‘Smart Toilet’.
As per NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar, such Smart Toilets will be powered with ATMs, rooftop solar panels, sanitary napkins vending machines and more services.
109 such Smart Toilets are being constructed by NDMC, across Delhi-NCR.
In a way, NDMC is attempting to convert toilets into a resource hub for travellers, passengers and the general public.
Here are few images from the virtual tour of one such smart toilet in New Delhi, as viewed via NDMC 311 app:
Will you use Google Maps for locating toilets? Do let us know by commenting right here!
