Maharashtra’s Thane city has been given a ‘period room’ in a public toilet to ease the woes of menstruating women residing in congested slums. This initiative aims to provide the women with hygienic sanitary facilities.

A civic official told PTI that the the first-of-its-kind facility at the public toilet is equipped with a urinal, jet spray, toilet roll holder, soap, running water and a dustbin.

This important facility was set up by the Thane Municipal Corporation in collaboration with an NGO. opened for women at a slum in Shanti Nagar locality of Wagle Estate area, the civic official said.

#India's first Period Room in a community toilet unveiled in #Thane
@FoundationMuse and @TMCaTweetAway jointly have unveiled the country's first one-of-a-kind Period Room in a community #toilet in Lokmanya Nagar. pic.twitter.com/xIoN9KyMnl

— A Period Of Sharing (@POS_Muse) January 6, 2021

The outer wall of the toilet block is painted with colourful pictures with messages that advocate good hygiene, including during menstruation.

“This Rs 45,000 low-cost facility will be replicated in all 120 community toilets in the city,” The New Indian Express quoted the official as saying. He added that women who live in small houses often do not have a separate bathing section. This makes it increasingly difficult for women who are menstruating. 

The ‘period room’ is an excellent facility for women to help them maintain hygiene. In most locations, there are no public toilets for women. This initiative, therefore, will provide them with some relief.

The official further said that the initiative indicates that slums are undergoing a revamp, with facilities like schools, health clinics and good toilets being set up there.