As an administrator intent on providing equal access to civic amenities for women, Hari Chandana pioneered the concept of “Loo Cafes” – modular, tech-enabled public restrooms for women with attached commercial spaces. This innovative model integrates maintenance viability along with safety and dignity for users. #HariChandana #SheInspiresUs

Understanding Ground Realities

During her municipal leadership tenure, Hari Chandana observed the lack of clean, safe public toilets for women first-hand by visiting different areas of Hyderabad. She realized conventional infrastructure models failed to address concerns around accessibility, security and upkeep.

Self-Sustaining Loo Cafe Approach

Hari Chandana devised the Loo Cafe format aligning commercial viability with public welfare. By attaching small viable retail spaces serving beverages/snacks to high-quality restrooms for women, she created a self-sustaining model that ensured continuous maintenance through revenues. #SocialImpact #CommercialViability

Focusing on Dignified Design

The Loo Cafes, with their pleasant ambience, baby feeding rooms and sanitary pad dispensers cater to the needs of women and children. Robust operations by women self-help groups with support for sensitizing users upholds dignity. Positive feedback has validated the design and operating principles.

Scaling City-wide Access

Given the financial sustainability, Hyderabad has been able to scale Loo Cafes rapidly across high footfall areas like metro stations, public parks and markets. From 3 initially, the city today has over 100 Loo Cafes – enhancing access to clean sanitation for women alongside emerging as social entrepreneurship hubs. #InnovativeModel