Delhi High Court seeks DMRC response to plea for sanitary pad vending machines at metro stations

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on a plea seeking the installation of sanitary pad vending machines in metro stations.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ordered DMRC to conduct a survey and file a report detailing the number of sanitary pad vending machines and disposal units installed at its stations.

“Issue notice to the respondents. Let a response be filed. DMRC shall give the details of the number of such vending machines and disposal units installed at the Delhi metro stations and out of these machines how many are functioning. You conduct a survey, file a report,” the Court directed DMRC. 

The case will be heard next on September 24.

The Court also expressed its displeasure over the fact that the DMRC counsel did not have any instructions about how many of its stations had functional sanitary pad vending machines.

“As per the petition, out of 286 metro stations, 14 stations have sanitary pad vending machines of which, according to him [petitioner] only 6-7 are working. How is it your [DMRC counsel] instructions are that you don’t even know if metro stations have sanitary pads?" Justice Gedela asked.

The petition was filed by advocate Nikhil Goyal.

He submitted that failure to provide basic menstrual hygiene facilities violates women commuters’ right to health and dignity.

“Menstruation is a natural, urgent, and often unpredictable biological process. The failure to provide basic menstrual hygiene facilities not only compromises women's physical well-being but also subjects them to indignity, discrimination, and unequal access to public infrastructure—thereby violating their fundamental rights under Article 21,” the plea argued.

The PIL sought directions for the immediate installation and operation of sanitary pad vending machines along with disposal facilities. 

The petitioner also sought formulation of a comprehensive menstrual hygiene policy for public transport systems, and the establishment of a monitoring and grievance redressal mechanism for menstrual health-related complaints in the Delhi Metro.