The state of public toilets at railway stations has become a matter of grave concern for female commuters across suburban stations, especially at Mulund. While the Central Railway (CR) had entered into an agreement with the DMart Foundation for keeping toilets clean at prominent stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Byculla, the situation on the ground remains far from satisfactory. Months ago, the railway authority announced that stations like Thane and Kalyan would also fall under the purview of DMart’s contract, but progress has been disappointingly slow.

A recent visit to Dombivli revealed the appalling state of the so-called “deluxe” toilets. Inside the ladies’ toilet, a man was found sleeping, while hawkers used the space to store their goods. Following the report, the railway authorities imposed a fine on the contractor. Today, in the peak hours of the morning, Lakshmi Pranesh was horrified to discover that all the ladies’ toilets at Mulund station were blocked. When she asked the cleaning staff about the issue, she was told, “Aisahi hai. Use karneka hai to karo, nahito jao” (It’s been like this. Use it if you want; otherwise, go away).