KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has identified 35 places for setting up modern toilet facilities exclusively for women in the city.
Every day several persons including women from the neighbouring districts travel to Kolkata for their office work. There are toilet facilities for both men and women in a single building. But the fairer sex often feels reluctant in using these facilities due to movement of men in the same space.
"We had asked the councillors to identify places in their respective wards for setting up such toilet facilities. They have sent a list of 37 spots. Our engineers have started visiting these places to examine the feasibility of setting up toilets in these places. After we get the report from them, work for setting up toilets will begin," Swapan Samaddar, Member Mayor in Council, Bustee Development said.
In February, Sammaddar had written to all councillors to identify places in their respective wards for setting up exclusive women toilets which was one of the 10 agendas of the manifesto that was released before the KMC elections in the city that was held in December 2021.
As per plans, the women toilets will have all modern facilities like mirror, handwash, tissue paper, breastfeeding facilities etc. The cleaning and maintenance of these toilets will also be done by women.
"The plan is to have at least one toilet in each of the wards. However, in case of big wards there are chances of constructing more than one toilet subject to availability of space," added Samaddar.
KMC also has plans to install sanitary napkin vending machines at these exclusive women toilets.