First 'Pink Toilet' with sanitary napkin vending machines, feeding area for mothers inaugurated in Delhi

On International Day for the Girl Child, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation inaugurated the first Pink Toilet in the capital city's Vikaspuri area on Wednesday. This one-of-its-kind facility is a significant step towards hygienic public restrooms for women and children. To help women, the Pink Toilet is equipped with a sanitary napkin vending machine and feeding room for breastfeeding mothers. As reported in Hindustan Times, this toilet has incinerator facilities as well.
 
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, mentioned that market in Vikaspuri has been chosen as it sees a high footfall of women and girls and they always face a lot of problems in accessing hygienic toilets and toilets with sanitary napkins and facilities for their safe disposal.

@SwachhBharatGov Hon'ble Mayor of SDMC inaugurated pink toilet having vending machine & incinirator, public feedback device at Vikas Puri pic.twitter.com/7yzoZytQuG

- Rajiv Kumar Jain (@rajivjain1962) October 11, 2017

 She also urged the users to keep it clean after use so that the next user does not face any problems.

 

"We will start inviting applications from people desiring to open such facilities in their area. This will go a long way in instilling a sense of security among women and girls in using public toilets," Sehrawat further added.

Pink Toilet Inauguration @ PVR Vikaspuri on International Girl Child Day pic.twitter.com/KAmbZ6WpCG

- Kamaljeet Sehrawat (@kjsehrawat) October 12, 2017

 The SDMC had earlier directed all petrol pumps to offer similar facilities resulting in around 4,000 more toilets. They had also urged hotels and restaurants under their jurisdiction to offer their restrooms for free.

Moves like this give a boost to the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission. The guidelines for the mission mention that there must be a toilet every few kilometres but the Pink Toilet is the first one of its kind. Corporations had also received funding from the government under SBM for building toilets and other sanitation work in Delhi.