Passersby on Mirza Ghalib Street in the heart of Kolkata can barely fail to notice the bold signage in Bengali announcing a ‘Ladies toilet and child care centre, the first of its kind in Bengal’. This exclusive women’s toilet complex and baby care centre was inaugurated in the city through a partnership between RC Belur, RID 3291, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Under a three-year contract, the club will maintain the 700sqft toilet complex-cum-breastfeeding centre built by the civic body. The contract will be renewed to ensure that Rotary continues to provide a safe and secure zone for lactating mothers and their babies, said project chair Rakesh Bhatia.
Claiming that this is the first-of-its-kind sanitation facility for the women of Kolkata, he said, “no men will be allowed to enter the toilet complex. It has two cubicles with baby cots and stools for breastfeeding, and is an absolute safe zone for women.” The facility, open from 8am to 8pm on all days, except Sundays, has two Indian toilets, one western closet, a shower room and a changing room. “There are seven rooms with two wash basins outside the cubicles, and the blocks are well-partitioned to ensure comfort for mothers and their babies.”
A sanitary napkin vending machine will be installed. At present, two women caretakers are employed by the club. “At least 100–120 women will visit this facility where we have made provision for running water in the washrooms.” For the monthly upkeep, the club spends ₹30,000 which is contributed by members.
During the inaugural, DG Ramendu Homchaudhuri said by transforming a corporation toilet into a modern, dignified sanitation centre for women, “RC Belur has created a new benchmark in public service — Bengal’s first modern ladies’ toilet. It has also helped to strengthen Rotary’s public image among the citizens as this acility is located in the heart of Kolkata.”
Club president Sharad Dugar said the members will ensure that this unique sanitation project will remain a sustainable initiative in the long run.
A couple of beneficiaries, who used the facility at the inaugural, appreciated it and thanked the Rotarians for taking up its maintenance.
Going ahead, the club plans to distribute recycled exercise books, diary pages and sparsely-used stationery for mothers under its adult literacy project.