To ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally-friendly manner, Punjab Government has installed 100 sanitary incinerators machines in the government schools covering seven districts under the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme.
“The Health Department, in coordination with Department of Education, has installed 100 Sanitary Incinerators machines in the schools of Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Faridkot, and SAS Nagar districts as a pilot project,” said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday. He said that disposal of menstrual waste is a major challenge as it affects health and environment and there is a need of effective long term solution.
“Sanitary incinerator is an effective method to dispose of sanitary napkins. It is eco-friendly, it burns up waste resulting in no waste of water. The ash left behind after incineration is sterile and safe for disposal. After getting the positive results, this project will also be extended to the other districts of State,” he said.
The Minister said that studies have shown that not only does the shame but inconvenience of not having proper menstrual hygiene products can force young girls to drop out of school.
He said that according to an advocacy organisation for sexual and reproductive health, 23 percent girls listed menstruation as the main reason for dropping out of school.
The Minister said that Punjab Government has also re-launched the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) 2018-19 for adolescent girls residing in rural areas of districts Bathinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Faridkot, SAS Nagar, Moga and Muktsar under Brand name “Muskaan’.
“To address the need of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls residing primarily in rural areas, the Punjab Government has announced the MHS budget with an allocation of Rs 139 lakhs in year 2018-19. The adolescent girls, primarily rural, between the age group of 10 to 19 years can avail the benefits of this scheme at subsidized rate,” he said.
Sidhu added that the primary objective of the scheme is to spread awareness about hygiene and to promote sanitary napkins distribution among adolescent girls through ASHAs and ANMs.
Underlining that ready-made napkin is still an issue for the rural women, Sidhu pointed that a study has revealed that in India, high cost, lack of knowledge and lack of disposal facilities are the major barriers to use them. “This is a matter of grave concern and I would put up the matter in the Cabinet to avail the sanitary napkin to women irrespective of their age across the rural areas of State,” he said.