The Delhi Government has updated the Delhi High Court on the construction of 143 dedicated public toilets for transgender individuals across the national capital.

Additionally, the court was apprised that the construction of 223 public toilets specifically for transgender individuals is currently underway, while plans for 30 more toilets are yet to commence. Furthermore, the Delhi Government has highlighted that 1584 toilets intended for persons with disabilities are also designated for use by transgender individuals.

The Delhi Government provided this information in a status report filed on January 19 as part of a public interest litigation initiated by Jasmine Kaur Chhabra. The litigation aims to advocate for the construction of separate toilets specifically for transgender individuals.

Today, a division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora presided over the hearing on the matter and decided to close the PIL. This decision was made based on the affidavit and action taken reports submitted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).

Advocate Rupinder Pal Singh, representing Chhabra, expressed no objection to closing the PIL. However, he requested that the Delhi Government be held accountable for the commitments and statements made in the status report and action taken reports.

Chhabra's argument was centered around the contention that the absence of such toilets exposes transgender individuals to a heightened risk of "sexual assault and harassment."

In March of the previous year, the court issued a directive to the Delhi government, instructing them to ensure the construction of public toilets specifically for transgender individuals within eight weeks in the national capital. Subsequently, in July 2022, the Delhi Government updated the court, assuring that it was diligently working towards the establishment of separate toilets for transgender persons and pledged to expedite the process.

The plea underscored that every individual, regardless of gender identity, possesses fundamental human rights, which include access to separate public toilets. It argued that the failure to provide such facilities for transgender or third-gender individuals constitutes a violation of their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the constitution.