Mumbai: Will happily pay more for clean loos at stations, say women commuters

The women’s toilet at Sewri station was found to be in extremely poor condition

Mumbaikars are willing to pay more for better toilet facilities at city stations and better services and amenities for women commuters, as per a survey conducted by St Xavier's College students which was presented to railways.

"In the face of violations of women's dignity, health and freedom to public spaces, activists have strived to get their voices heard through campaigns such as ‘The Right to Pee' movement which acknowledge the absence of safe and hygienic public urinals in Mumbai city. This campaign has been demanding adequate public urinals for women in Mumbai from stakeholders responsible for urban sanitation in the city," said the theme of the survey conducted in August and September.

It added, "Railway authorities must improve and upgrade existing washroom facilities across Mumbai railways, as seen by the overwhelming response towards the survey among women across occupations, age groups, and income levels. The railway authority must assume responsibility to ensure that the safety and security of women in trains is secure."

The team from St Xavier's College that conducted the survey

Most of the respondents said there was a need to improve the hygiene of the washrooms on railway premises. Many also expressed willingness to pay an increased fee if cleanliness is ensured.

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"While conducting research, we explored the state of restrooms at a number of stations and found them to be deplorable. Basic amenities such as clean floors, toilet paper, and sanitary products were rarely available. I urge the railway authorities to address this issue," said surveyor Navya Mayekar.

Another student, part of the survey, Carlish Mendonca, said, "What we found during field research was quite shocking. A majority of washrooms for women weren't just unsafe, but were in extremely poor conditions. The question is why isn't the Ministry of Railways looking for solutions?"

Yet another student surveyor Janhavi Raut said, "This project was an eye opener. I realised the amount of discomfort and inconvenience that women commuters face on a daily basis. We hope to bring in sanitary reform through our initiative to make travelling by railways convenient for every woman out there."

Railway officials said they have noted down the suggestions and added that railway toilets were progressively being converted into pay-and-use ones in a bid to maintain hygiene. Technology such as Gandhvedh devices, highlighted by mid-day earlier this week, was also being used at station toilets to monitor odour to set a standard for the contractor.

Suggestions

>> Consultations with third-party programmes to help improve availability of funds needed to upgrade washrooms across Mumbai
>> Workshops with existing staff to sensitise on issues faced by female travellers and consulting with NGOs
>> Ensuring sanitisation and check of washrooms at regular intervals
>> Improving infrastructure such as drainage systems and waste segregation and storage.