Six years on, She Lounge at Kasaragod's Cheruvathur lies in neglect and misuse

Cheruvathur: Six years after it was launched as the district’s first She Lounge for women, the facility at Cheruvathur now lies abandoned, with official neglect turning it into a hangout for strangers and antisocial elements.

Implemented near the Cheruvathur panchayat bus stand under the 2018-19 People’s Planning Programme, the project was conceived as a unique initiative for women’s welfare and inaugurated in 2020 during the tenure of then panchayat president Madhavan Maniyara. However, the outbreak of the Covid pandemic soon after its launch prevented the facility from being opened to the public.

Though a caretaker was later appointed to ensure smooth functioning, not a single woman came forward to use the space for rest or temporary stay.

The two-storey building houses public toilets for passengers on the ground floor, with the She Lounge upstairs. However, after the panchayat committee that implemented the project stepped down, the succeeding administration largely failed to maintain the facility. With the caretaker eventually removed, the lounge gradually fell into disrepair and became a resting place for outsiders.

Although a shutter has been installed at the upstairs entrance, it remains unlocked, allowing unrestricted access to the premises. The toilets are now damaged and dilapidated, and garbage has accumulated across the verandahs. Empty bottles and other waste are also strewn along the pathway.

Cheruvathur was the first place in the district to get a She Lounge, followed later by Kanhangad. The present condition of this women’s welfare project has now become a matter of concern, and unless urgent steps are taken to restore and protect the facility, it could soon turn into a full-fledged haven for antisocial elements.