Following the trend of railways dominating the news cycle in the last couple of weeks, it appears that Bandra station will not be left out of the conversation. As part of Union Bank of India’s CSR budget, the station is all set to get a ‘lactation room’ for breastfeeding mothers.

According to the plan, the toilet space on Platform 1 is to be wholly renovated to provide a separate room for women to feed their children. “It would be made available to them for free and women would be allowed to spend as much time as they require inside the room. Mothers could also use the room for changing their baby’s clothes and other requirements,” a Union Bank of India official said, as reported here.

As logic stands guard, the Railways will also provide access to other infant related essentials such as baby food, milk and hot water. The toilet is expected to be built by June 15, with an announced budget of Rs 1 crore. The Agasti foundation for railways has been requested to lead the project.

According to this report, 46% of Infants in India are breastfed for up to 6 months, and while this may be higher than a lot of other countries in the world, there is still a long way to go. It is a natural process that is determined by the principal of demand and supply, and requires time and patience from a mothers end, the last two things one expects to find on Bandra station. Allocating a convenient clean space for women to take their time and breastfeed is definitely a step in the right direction. We hope this initiative is paired with a larger breastfeeding awareness campaign running through the city to begin with, and that soon each large station is granted the same facility.