The Hindu 31.07.2013
Bells and whistles of she-toilets not a big draw with city women
the ‘she-toilets.’ The scene near the Museum police station.— Photo: S.
Gopakumar
of hygiene in public toilets that women often complain about — the
“she-toilets” in the city are automatic and loaded with features not
found in other public toilets. Yet, technology is what seems to be
driving away many of the women from these toilets.
The
Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC) set up 20 of these
women-friendly, technology-driven toilets in January 2012, especially
aimed at women on the go.
Yet change was never going
to be easy for a segment that had no explanation for not using these
toilets ever. Features as varied as a coin-operated
sanitary-napkin-vending machine, an incinerator to burn the napkins,
diaper-changing stations for babies, an Indian-style pan, electronic
display boards on doors, security features, FM radio, and SMS alert to
controllers for cleaning the tanks have not drawn a majority of the
women to use the facility.
Among the few who did
venture inside the units, which cost Rs. 5 lakh each, the response is
mixed. “Given that there are no instructions in the regional language,
and the operation is a little confusing, I was not comfortable using
it,” Elsa George, a bank employee, said.
Many college
students felt the facilities provided for menstrual hygiene were
useful. However, a few were concerned about the location of the toilets,
mostly in public places such as junctions where there was no privacy.
“There
was difficulty in getting land or electricity or water in many of the
locations that were earlier decided for the project. Hence, the units at
SAT Hospital, Regional Cancer Centre, and near Fort are yet to start
functioning. A few changes, including relocation of some toilets and
labelling of the control buttons in Malayalam, will be made. It is hoped
that more people will come forward to use the toilets,” P.S. Ramshad, a
KSWDC official, said.
But the changes need to be
implemented soon, as regular maintenance and upkeep of the toilets is
not a cheap affair. The maintenance charges for each unit come to around
Rs.5,200 a month. Then there are the non-revenue generating units set
up in colleges.
Though the toilets are a
not-for-profit initiative, the KSWDC is being forced to look at
alternative ways of revenue generation as long-term maintenance of the
units may not be feasible with the collection amount alone.
