CHENNAI: Six months after having my first child, I was to rejoin work at Saidapet in January 2019. I was in for a shock when I found the breastfeeding room at Saidapet terminus locked. Nobody knew who had the key and the commuters waiting at the terminus told me the feeding room was always locked. I used to sit in the washroom, pump milk for my child into a feeding bottle and feed him. However, I was unable to manage and had to quit my job within 10 days,” said MN Shanthi, a new mother from Chromepet.  

Similar is the plight of numerous lactating mothers dependent on the feeding rooms at various bus termini in the city. When CE visited a few feeding rooms at bus stands, even those that have high patronage including Thiruvanmiyur, Broadway, Vadapalani and Saidapet were in a state of apathy.

Poor maintenance

In August 2015, the then chief minister late J Jayalalithaa announced that bus termini across the state would boast breastfeeding rooms to ensure lactating mothers enjoy privacy while feeding their newborns. Three years down the line, most of the rooms are either locked or poorly maintained.
An official from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) said breastfeeding rooms were established at 39 termini of which 32 are maintained by MTC and the other seven by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).  

“Ideally, a feeding room must have a baby washer, bed to dress up, sterilizing equipment, a feeding pump and sanitizer. Except for Koyambedu bus terminus, none of the feeding rooms at bus termini in Chennai have these facilities. Moreover, even the staff members at the termini are not helpful,” rued P Shyamala from Adyar.

When contacted, an official from MTC said the keys to the breastfeeding rooms are available with the local officials at the bus terminus. “We had to lock them because miscreants vandalise the rooms at night,” he said.

Nuisance mongers

An official from MTC at the Thiruvanmiyur bus terminus said that lactating mothers come once in a week and get the key from the officials. However, when CE tried to get the keys, the reporter was made to shuttle between the gate keeper and an official at the terminus. Even at Adyar, the officials said it will take more than half an hour to get the keys of the breastfeeding room.

Commuters at the Broadway bus depot allege that miscreants use the feeding room for anti-social activities at night. A passenger on condition of anonymity said, “If you look through the window, you can see paper cups and polythene strewn over. Numerous complaints to the authorities went in vain.” 

Lacks facilities

Though the feeding room at Vadapalani bus depot is open, there is nothing except a chair amid shabby walls. “Fearing that their baby will get an infection, most mothers return without feeding,” said a conductor at the bus terminus.  

Though there are takers for the facility, due to its poor maintenance, women are unable to use the rooms. But the Koyambedu bus terminus stands apart. It is manned by nurses. There are two huge air-conditioned rooms with seven enclosures in one and eight in the other as well as sofas and curtains in both enclosures. At least 15 women use the breastfeeding room here daily, whereas only one woman a week uses feeding rooms in other areas.