Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a bid to make public spaces more inclusive and supportive of adolescent health needs, inaugurated the city’s first period-friendly public toilet on a pilot basis on Wednesday.The facility, located at a prominent site in ward number 40, was opened in the presence of mayor Sulochana Das. The specially designed toilet is equipped with a sanitary pad-vending machine and an incinerator for safe disposal of used pads, making it adolescent-friendly and accessible to persons with disabilities.Officials said the initiative is part of the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) project, implemented in partnership with Aaina and WRI India.Mayor Das, sharing her thoughts on social media after the inauguration, wrote: “Joined the inauguration of an accessible period-friendly public toilet made by Aaina in partnership with WRI India and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents project. This facility is a step towards inclusive and dignified public sanitation, especially supporting adolescent girls and persons with disabilities, ensuring a safer, more accessible public space.”BMC officials emphasised that the pilot project is intended to serve as a model for replication across other public spaces in the city. “We are committed to creating inclusive sanitation facilities that address needs of adolescent girls and women. This initiative is not just about infrastructure but about dignity and accessibility,” said N Ganesh Babu, deputy commissioner (sanitation), BMC.The civic body plans to monitor the success of the pilot toilet before expanding the model to other locations. Babu said such facilities would help normalise conversations around menstrual hygiene and reduce barriers faced by young girls in accessing safe public sanitation.With Bhubaneswar already making strides in expanding its sanitation infrastructure, addition of period-friendly toilets marks a significant step toward gender-sensitive urban planning. If successful, the model could inspire similar initiatives in other Indian cities striving for inclusive public spaces.
