New culture of urban sanitation, Mumbai (CORO)

Bombay’s Community of Resource Organization (CORO)is working to provide
sustainable,community run sanitary facilities in the city’s low-income
settlements.In the congested slum areas,stationary toilets have proven difficult
to build and nearly impossible to maintain,but in July,1992,CORO took over the
management of government constructed toilet facilities in several locations
throughout the city.Building a unique partnership between their new sanitation
project and their longstanding literacy program,CORO combined community
library facilities with their sanitary facilities.Local groups manage the toilets on a
cooperative bases,sometimes finding sponsors for the poorest areas where the
toilets cannot pay for their own upkeep.The maintenance activity is providing
monthly pay for 500 workers,while community members who are happy with
clean facilities and adequate water are willing to pay.