Pune Municipal Corporation to install sanitary napkin vending machines at over 300 toilets through CSR

In a proposal, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao said the civic body collects at least 2,200 tonne of garbage every day, including 125 tonne of sanitary waste.




The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to set up sanitary napkin vending machines and disposal machines at 306 public toilets across the city through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In a proposal, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao said the civic body collects at least 2,200 tonne of garbage every day, including 125 tonne of sanitary waste. There are 12 sanitary disposal machines set up in the city that dispose as many as 6,000 sanitary napkins every day. “The collection and transportation of sanitary waste, alongwith repair and maintenance of sanitary disposal machines, is increasing the financial burden on the civic body,” he said.

Aiming for an ODF++ (open defecation-free) rating in the Swachh Survekshan 2020, the PMC has decided to install sanitary vending machines and used napkin destroyer systems in civic buildings, secondary and higher secondary schools, community halls and toilets through CSR, and in private schools, colleges, malls and cooperative societies through paid services.

The Action Committee Against Unfair Medical Practice, an NGO, has announced that it was prepared to dispose the sanitary waste through a centralised system by collecting and destroying the napkins in incinerators, as is done for biomedical waste. The committee is also ready to dispose the sanitary waste through a decentralised system by installing a napkin destroyer system across the city.

The decentralised system will include installing Smart Maitrin vending machines, smart maitrin used napkin destroyer system that will have the capacity to hold 500 gram of ashes, supply of branded sanitary napkins through vending machines at a lower price than in the retail market, free maintenance of machines for one year and paid maintenance for four years, creating awareness on use of sanitary napkins and disposal through an environment-friendly system and medical camps to create awareness on menstrual cycle alongwith implementing it through CSR.

The centralised system will include installing smart maitrin vending machines, supply of sanitary napkins at a lower price than in the retail market through vending machines, maintenance of the machines for five years and collection of used napkins to dispose of in an incinerator through centralised system, putting sanibins of 10 to 20 litres at public urinals meant for women.

If need be, the existing 12 sanitary napkin disposal machines in the city will be handed over to the NGO to operate with no extra cost to the civic body, officials said.

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