She-toilets to be installed at 23 places

KSWDC project to provide clean, hygienic public sanitation facilities for women

Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation Ltd. (KSWDC), in a bid to mitigate the woes of women commuters due to the lack of clean and hygienic toilets in public places, will set up electronic ‘she-toilets’ at 23 locations in the capital.

Minister for Social Welfare M.K. Muneer will launch the ‘she toilets’ in the Museum compound on Tuesday.

The City Corporation will support the KSWDC in setting up the ‘she-toilets,’ reportedly the first-of-its-kind innovation in the country, at major city centres, tourist spots, and places where women gathered.

The locations selected are the Women and Child Hospital, Thycaud; University College, Palayam; Government Women’s Polytechnic College, Kaimanam; Vettucadu Church; Ulloor parking area; Medical College; Rajadhani Road, East Fort; and the Corporation office premises.

The automatic toilets come equipped with stations to change baby diapers, sanitary napkin-vending machines, and incinerators, along with self-wash and sterilisation functions.

Next phase

The project will be rolled out in all the districts in the subsequent phases, KSWDC Chairperson P. Kulsu said.

“It is a definite step forward to improve the overall well-being of thousands of women who come to work from various parts of the city and outside. The provision of clean and hygienic public amenities will encourage more women to enter the workforce, besides promoting family tourism,” she said.

Technology use

‘She-toilets’ deftly combined electronic and mechanical engineering with IT. It can be controlled and monitored from a remote location using GPRS technology.

Automatic SMS alerts will be received by the control room in case of emergencies such as exhaustion of water tank or filling-up of the septic tank.

Further, the toilets also had common facilities such as automatic payment collection; automatic door opening, ‘busy’ and ‘free’ display boards, and an automatic platform cleaning system. The use of hi-tech technology in these toilets will help overcome all the human errors that make public comfort stations unhealthy. Automated flushing and sterilisation of the commode was another feature.

Eco-friendly

KSWDC Managing Director S.M. Arif said ‘she-toilets’ were cost-effective, besides being eco-friendly.

“Waste decomposition is through bio-enzymes and the water is recycled for future use. The compact design ensured that they can easily fit in crowded places, including makeshift event venues,” Mr. Arif said.