HYDERABAD: The Telangana police department is all set to launch mobile toilets for its women personnel. These will help the women cops, especially while on bandobast duty during public meetings, processions and rallies.
After having separate rest and washrooms for women at the newly constructed police stations and creche for kids for policewomen at Rachakonda, the mobile toilets will not only help them while on the field, but also boost their performance, officials say. These mobile toilets would be launched across the state soon with each district getting at least one in the first phase.
With the state and the police department viewing women safety on top priority, the presence of women cops at every meeting and places with presence of women in big numbers has become unavoidable. However, the need for a place to relieve themselves while on bandobast duty has not been addressed so far. There are about 2,300 women police personnel in the State.
According to senior police officials, women police officers are now posted on duty for every procession small and big, public meetings and festival bandobust. There were instances where the women cops would not drink water while on duty for long hours due to fear of having to relieve themselves. Sometimes they go in search of a government office or any other private place to relieve themselves. But sometimes when there is no option to move from the place, they had to face a tough time.
IG for women safety Swati Lakra says that the mobile toilet will be a bus like vehicle and can travel anywhere easily. “ At present the vehicle will have toilets and a wash area. We are also planning to set up sanitary napkin dispensers in the wash area for use by the women officers.
Now that we already have separate space for women in police stations and a creche launched recently, this mobile facility will not only serve the women in the force now, but will also attract more women to enter the force, ‘’ she opined.