Puducherry: The Puducherry municipality is taking steps to make the city breast-feeding friendly. In its new initiative, the municipality set up an enclosure in Bharati park in the heart of the city for mothers to feed their babies.
The municipality had already set up two breastfeeding rooms in the eastern and western side of the new bus terminus last year. “The breast feeding rooms in the terminus have received wide appreciation and good response from people. This made us extend the initiative to other crowded spots in the city,” said municipal commissioner R. Chandirasekaran .
Bharati park is one of the most crowded areas in the city where tourists and local people come to relax. “One of the major problems we face while coming out of home is to find an ideal place to feed the baby. The new facility is great, and we request government to open more feeding rooms in places where people come in large numbers,” says Geetha, mother of one-year-old Ashika.
At the feeding room in Bharathi Park, the municipality has provided lighting, a drinking water tap and a fan, said Mr Chandirasekaran. “Two women can use the enclosure at the same time and it will be maintained by a women worker. Based on the response, the municipality will extend the facility to more public places in the city,” he added. The feeding room will be opened on August 1, the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week.
