New Delhi, Aug. 5:The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to conduct a comprehensive survey of all police stations in the national capital to assess the availability of functional sanitary pad vending machines and dedicated washroom facilities for women police personnel. The court also sought status reports from the Centre, Delhi Police, and the Delhi government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the lack of menstrual hygiene infrastructure.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia instructed the Delhi Police to complete the survey within six weeks. Notices were issued to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Police, and the Government of NCT of Delhi, seeking their responses to the issues raised in the PIL.

The petition, filed by NGO Justice for Rights Foundation, calls for the installation of sanitary pad vending machines, sanitary waste disposal incinerators, and hygienic washroom facilities for women police personnel across all Delhi Police stations and units. It alleges that the absence of these basic facilities has adversely affected female personnel and violates their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution.

Filed through advocates Karnika Bahuguna, Pooja Kushwah, and Adarsh Singh, the PIL is based on RTI applications submitted to Delhi Police in 2025 seeking district-wise details of menstrual hygiene facilities. According to the petition, replies from all 18 police districts and units revealed that only a limited number of police stations had sanitary pad vending machines, despite the presence of thousands of women personnel in the force.

The petition further claims that RTI responses showed no dedicated budget, policy, standard operating procedure, or institutional mechanism for providing and maintaining menstrual hygiene infrastructure in police establishments.

It argues that women police personnel, often engaged in prolonged law-and-order, investigation, emergency, and field duties, face significant challenges in accessing sanitary products during work hours. The lack of proper facilities, it says, compromises their health, dignity, privacy, and working conditions. It also notes that women complainants, victims, and witnesses visiting police stations are similarly affected.

Citing Articles 14, 21, 42, and 47 of the Constitution, the PIL contends that the State has a duty to ensure humane working conditions and safeguard the health and dignity of women employees. It also refers to similar initiatives undertaken by the Central Reserve Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Mumbai Police's 'Smart Maitrin' project, and the Ladakh Police as examples that can be replicated in Delhi.

The petition seeks court directions for the installation of sanitary pad vending machines and sanitary waste disposal incinerators in all Delhi Police stations within a fixed timeframe, provision of exclusive hygienic washrooms for women personnel, dedicated budgetary allocation, formulation of standard operating procedures for maintenance, and creation of an institutional mechanism to ensure uninterrupted functioning of these facilities.