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Now, women-friendly toilets in Dindigul bus stand

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The Hindu     07.12.2017  

Now, women-friendly toilets in Dindigul bus stand

Ensures hygiene:A women-friendly toilet at Kamarajar Bus Stand in Dindigul.Photo: G. KarthikeyanG_KARTHIKEYAN  

Ten toilets sanctioned as pilot project: seven for Dindigul and three for Madurai

Women passengers waiting at the Kamarajar Bus Stand here need not use public toilets with inadequate facilities any more, for the Dindigul Corporation has installed two toilets with all facilities to meet their entire needs, especially related to menstrual hygiene.

Inaugurating the ‘Sunidhi toilets’ here on Wednesday, Collector T.G. Vinay said that the existing toilets at the bus stand and along highways lacked women-friendly facilities. The new toilets would also protect their privacy with dignity.

The toilets were installed under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Ten toilets had been sanctioned as a pilot project - seven for Dindigul and three for Madurai Corporations. The low-cost prefabricated structure would have a western toilet, Indian toilet, wash basin, sanitary napkin vending machine, napkin incinerator, mirror and soap. The Corporation would maintain them.

Two toilets had been installed at the east and west end of the bus stand. More such facilities would come up near Amma Canteen at flower market, Siluvathur tank area, near Mochaikottai Vinayagar Temple, Mettupatti church area and 108 Vinayagar Temple campus near Gopalasamudram tank. Based on successthe model would be replicated in other areas, the Collector added.

Technical staff said the superstructure, made of cost-effective ferro-cement technology, could be installed in three to four hours. The slabs were fabricated using moulds and drilled together and brought to the location for installation. Fixing toilets, other equipment, basin and plumbing work were done on the spot. Top priority was given for hand washing as it could reduce 45% of sanitation- related diseases. The cost of each toilet was Rs. 75,000.

If one inserted a Rs. 5 coin, the sanitary napkin vending machine would dispense one. Around 30 napkins had been kept in the machine. The incinerator would reduce the used napkin into five grams of ash.

The machine used minimal electricity and the smoke would pass through a chimney.