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Bengal

KMC to issue strict directives for breastfeeding facilities at malls

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon direct all shopping malls in the city to set up facilities where mothers can

breastfeed their babies.

The decision was approved at the Member Mayor in Councils' meeting that was chaired by Mayor Firhad Hakim on Wednesday.

"All the existing malls will have to set up facilities where mothers can feed their babies. The malls that are going to be set up in the days to come will compulsorily have such facilities," Hakim said.

It may be mentioned that in November last year a mother who had gone shopping at a premier mall-cum-multiplex in south Kolkata with her seven-month-old daughter had to look for a place to breastfeed her baby and was later abused on the Facebook page of the shopping mall for lodging a complaint.

It was the trial room of a garments store that provided her the privacy to feed her baby and change a diaper. The social networking site was full of comments where women highlighted the need to have such facilities in the malls.

The mayor also announced the decision to increase 20

million gallon capacity of Jai Hind Water supply project at Dhapa to address the problem of water in certain pockets of Jadavpur, Tollygunge and Garia.

"The water pressure in certain pockets of Jadavpur and Tollygunge is an issue. So we have decided to augment the capacity of Jai Hind," Hakim said. The KMC has also earmarked government land for rehabilitation of some residents whose houses are located in the route of the two proposed bailey bridges over Tolly Nullah. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will take up construction of the bridges.

"We have also sought land from Tolly Club for expansion of an existing road to facilitate traffic movement," the Mayor said.

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