In Pimpri Chinchwad, only 47 urinals for 9 lakh women

Times of India: Pune: Monday, March 18, 2013.

There are just 47 public urinal blocks in Pimpri Chinchwad for about 9 lakh women, reveals a Right to Information (RTI) application.

Vikas Bhumbe, president of Aadhar Social Foundation, who sought the info under RTI, said, "Women face hardships when they travel to the city for work. There is an urgent need for the civic body to construct more toilets for women. The population of Pimpri Chinchwad city, as per the 2011 census, is 17.5 lakh and about half of them are women. This is shocking because the city has a woman as the mayor and the leader of the ruling party."

Pimpri Chinchwad mayor Mohini Lande said, "The civic body will take steps to construct the required number of toilets for women."

Bharati Pharande, chairperson of the women and child welfare committee, PCMC, said, "Various Rotary Clubs have agreed to construct toilets for women at five busy locations. The PCMC will provide them land while they will build the toilets and hand them over to the civic body. The toilets will be operated on pay-and-use basis." The committee, Pharande said, has framed a policy to construct toilets for women at municipal gardens, community centres and vegetable markets, depending on availability of land.

Manav Kamble, president of the Nagari Hakka Suraksha Samiti, said, "There should be a toilet for women at a distance of every one km. They are needed near schools, vegetable markets and in industrial areas of the Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation. The civic body spends money on implementing projects that are show-pieces while neglects basic amenities of citizens."

Vikas Patil, president of the Paryavaran Sanvardhan Samiti, said, "We met civic officials on World Women's Day and pointed out that the lacunae. PCMC officials said they will take help of NGOs and private companies. But, I think the PCMC must do something on its own."