Delhi High Court urges DMRC to add more toilets, breastfeeding rooms at metro stations

The Delhi High Court has urged the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to add more toilets, breastfeeding rooms, and infant care rooms at metro stations, citing concerns about the "health" and "dignity" of passengers. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that DMRC stations already have functional toilet facilities for men, women, and persons with disabilities/transgender, which are available for a nominal fee.

However, the court directed DMRC to consider the petitioner's plea for baby feeder rooms and infant care rooms in all metro stations. The order stated that the availability of public conveniences should be determined based on the architecture, structure, and functionality of each metro station. DMRC had submitted a reply under the Right to Information Act, claiming that some stations provide free toilets, which undergo daily cleaning and regular maintenance.

Dissatisfied with this reply, the PIL was filed primarily on the complaint that such facilities are not available in paid areas, where passengers enter after purchasing a ticket. The court acknowledged that DMRC's July 8, 2025, reply confirmed the availability of public conveniences in adequate measure at metro stations in Delhi, but noted that the issue remained unaddressed was the alleged lack of public conveniences within the paid areas of metro stations.

The court allowed the petitioner to point out any specific metro station where such facilities were needed in paid areas despite their availability outside those areas, and disposed of the petition.