Most respondents on Virar-Dahanu section find washrooms not well-maintained
Approximately 45% of women commuters between Virar & Dahanu stations have either been a victim of harassment or a witness to it, according to a gender survey commissioned by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). The study found that 4 out of 10 women commuters between Neral & Karjat stations have also reported facing harassment.
Few complaints filed
The Survey shows that most women commuters don't file complaints with the Railways or the police & only 50 per cent of women are aware of the railway helpline. On the Neral-Karjat section, only 13 per cent of respondents admitted using the women safety helpline, while the figure was 57 per cent for women commuters on the Virar-Dahanu section.
Market Search, an independent agency, carried out the survey by conducting face-to-face interviews with 1,009 women. Among them, 867 lived on the Virar-Dahanu section on the Western Railway & 142 on the Neral- Karjat section on the Central Railway. One of the objectives of the survey was to provide baseline data to measure the impact of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s (AIIB) funding of selected components of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3. The MRVC has sought a loan of $500 million from the AIIB & most of it is expected to be spent on the additional two lines between Virar & Dahanu & the new corridor between Karjat & Panvel.
Unhappy with amenities
According to the survey, most women commuters were unhappy with the amenities set up at stations. Nearly 84 per cent of respondents on the Virar-Dahanu section said washrooms were not well-maintained. However, on the Neral-Karjat section, 55% of respondents found the washrooms to be quite hygienic. Nearly 96 per cent of respondents on the Neral-Karjat section & around 86 per cent on the Virar-Dahanu section said drinking water at stations wasn't fit for consumption.
The survey also highlighted the lack of nursing homes on the Neral-Karjat section. Only Karjat station has the facility & no station on the Virar-Dahanu section, except Boisar, has the facility. On the Virar-Dahanu section, 60 per cent of women commuters said the nursing rooms lacked privacy, while 37 per cent found the facilities to be adequate.
‘Not final report’
According to an MRVC spokesperson, “The survey has been conducted through a consultancy. The report is preliminary/primary in nature. It requires further study taking various parameters into consideration before coming to any conclusion or submitting a final report.”
Source Link
Picture Source :
