In order to create a safe and comfortable zone for breastfeeding women during their commute, the Central Railways (CR) of Mumbai division has decided to set up nursing pods at railway stations across the city.
According to an official statement released by the railways, a total of 13 state-of-the-art nursing pods will be set up at seven major railway stations under Mumbai division, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, Thane, and Kalyan.
These nursing pods will be set up under Indian Railway's Non-Fare Revenue policy and its services will be available free of cost for commuters.
Under the scheme, one nursing pod will be set up at the CSMT, three each at Dadar and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), two each at Thane and Lonavala, and one each at Kalyan and Panvel, according to a senior railway official.
Each pod will consist of comfortable, cushioned seating, a diaper-changing station, a fan, a light, and a dustbin to dispose of soiled diapers, the official said. The sides of the pod will contain advertisements of licensee for complete contract period and will be made visibly attractive, he said.
Many commuters believe that this will bring a major relief to expecting and breastfeeding mothers.
The maintenance and the security of the pod will be the responsibility of the licensee. Material that would be a part of the nursing pod would be replenished according to usage. Wear and tear or defects in electrical equipment such as fans and lights would be resolved quickly, the railway official said.
It is pertinent to mention that nearly 35 lakh people on average use the services of the Central Railway everyday and around 20 per cent of them are women.
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