Sanitary napkins, condoms to soon be available at toilets of railway stations

The sanitary napkins pads and Condoms will now be sold at toilet facilities both inside and outside railway stations for not only the passengers but also for the people, who are living in its vicinity, and the Railway Board developed a new toilet policy recently approved by.

The policy stated this because of the lack of proper sanitation facilities in and around the station premises, those living in the vicinity, especially nearby slums and villages, were often found defecating in the open and urinating in station premises that is made it surroundings unhygienic and resulted in health-related problems.

“In order to address these issues, the railways is utilizing the station premises to set up facilities having separate toilets for men and women which will be utilized to build awareness for best practices of menstrual hygiene and usage of contraceptives as proposed. Each facility will have a small kiosk to sell low-cost sanitary pads for women along with the provision of an incinerator, and condoms for men,” the policy said.

Under the policy, each station also blessed with these 2 such facilities. One outside the station in the circulating area and another inside the station which is used by all people who are visiting the stations and also those living around them, free of the cost anyway.

The policy said each facility is also having separate toilets for men, women, and Divyangjans with the provision of both Indian and Western style commodes in them anyway.

The requirement for funds to set up these facilities at all 8,500 stations that will be met through CSR funds from different corporations and their maintenance which is make sure through advertisements/CSR, the policy stated.

“For maintaining the cleanliness of the toilets, three persons — two sweepers (one male to clean toilets for men and divyangjans and one female for women toilets) and one supervisor — will be engaged by the agency. Reputed NGOs will be engaged to build and operate the toilets (CSR support from corporates) with a maintenance contract,” it added further.