To address the lack of proper washroom facilities for sportswomen and their working counterparts, the state government has formed a special investigation team (SIT). According to the government resolution (GR) issued by the urban development department (UDD), the SIT will come up with suggestions and frame guidelines to address the key issue.
The move aims to establish adequate washrooms for women, particularly near the Oval ground and other playgrounds in Mumbai and across the state. The team has been given six months to submit actionable recommendations to the UDD.
The initiative follows an order issued by Maharashtra Lokayukta in October 2024.
Back then, retired high court justice V M Kanade highlighted the dire need for women’s washroom facilities in the state, while pointing out that European nations provide public washrooms every 200 metres.
Currently, public toilets for women in Mumbai remain grossly inadequate. This is especially problematic for sportswomen who share playgrounds with men as no open space in Mumbai, including the Oval ground, have dedicated washroom facilities for women.
The SIT, headed by the upper chief secretary of the general administration department, comprises 10 members. It includes principal secretaries from the departments of UD, women and child development, school education and sports, and representatives from the BMC and public works department. An architect appointed by the UDD will also join the panel.
