Though she expected things to be below par, Anjali Pandey says she was “shocked” to discover the glaring lack of sanitation facilities for women personnel in police stations in her city Prayagraj. Ms. Pandey was among the 13 women law students who petitioned the Allahabad High Court on the basis of a survey in which they found that most of the police stations — they surveyed 17 police stations and the BAR Council premises — in Prayagraj lacked basis sanitation amenities, washrooms or separate toilets for women personnel. “They [female personnel] work for everyone and are a part of the government. If they don’t get basic facilities, what can we expect for us?” asked Ms. Pandey, a third semester law student.
In their “fact-finding” report titled ‘Women in the Frontline’, which includes photographs, the law students noted that out of the 18 sites they visited, only five police stations had separate washrooms for women. Among these, only one was termed “satisfactory”, while some were described as “woeful”, and “begrimed and shabby”. Even common washrooms were often not worth using or comfortable enough. “Female staff avoid using washrooms because of the awkwardness caused by the common washroom,” the report on Kydganj Police Station concluded.
They found the situation was much worse in rural areas. Some police stations lacked washrooms even for the male officials, said Shabih Fatima, student of Jamia Millia Islamia and co-petitioner.
In the Civil Lines Police Station, in the heart of Prayagraj, there existed a common washroom but it was untidy and its gates were broken, the petitioners’ report said. “Due to unavailability of a separate women washroom, the female staff have to use the only washroom of female barrack built inside the station premises,” it said.
Admitting their PIL, the Allahabad High Court in February directed the Uttar Pradesh government to place a status report on how many police stations in the State did not have toilets for women. The court expanded the purview of the petition to the whole State.
The petitioners had pleaded that the court issue directions to the State government to ensure the construction of women’s toilets in police stations in Prayagraj where they were missing, along with all necessary facilities like toiletries, running water, electricity, fan and doorknob, keeping in view the privacy and dignity of women. The petitioners referenced Article 21 of the Constitution and said “the life and its consumption include necessary hygiene and sanitation”.
The State government told the court that a complete project had been undertaken by it to provide basic amenities to female police personnel and work was in progress. A Mahila Hostel was proposed at 1,425 police stations in U.P., of which necessary approvals and budget had been granted for 1,317 stations. As per the proposed project, one toilet washroom is to be constructed for every four female employees.
Construction work has already started in 51 police stations, while in 291 police stations, work was in progress for the construction of visitors’ room with toilet and washroom facilities.
In 394 police stations, approval had already been granted back in the year 2001-02 to have a separate Mahila Police Room with toilets, the government informed the court.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Chief Govind Mathur and Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery on February 17, however, stated that the project mentioned by the government was pending finalisation since long. “The issue before us is immediate availability of toilets [and] washrooms and other essential amenities for female police personnel at different police stations,” the court said, adding that nothing has been stated in this regard on behalf of the State.
The government then sought more time about the immediate steps to be taken to meet the urgent requirement of toilets and washrooms at different police stations with complete hygiene.
On Monday, the State government through a standing counsel said that effective steps had been taken by fixing the agency for construction of women’s toilets in the respective police stations.
The court directed the Home Secretary-U.P. to file an affidavit by March 15 about the steps taken for fixing an agency for the construction of the women’s toilets. If the affidavit was not filed on or before the date, the Home Secretary shall remain personally present on March 16, the court directed.
