Mumbai: Soon, all public bathrooms to get sanitary napkin vending machine

Representational Image. File Pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has undertaken an initiative to install Sanitary Napkin Vending-Incinerator Combo Machines in public toilets in Mumbai with the dual objective of providing sanitary pads for women's health protection and scientific disposal of used sanitary pads. Under this programme, 200 plants are already functioning in public toilets especially in slum areas.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given instructions to the BMC to keep the city clean as well as providing facilities at public toilets. Accordingly, a special campaign is being implemented in all 24 administrative wards. The administration also tends to provide essential amenities along with cleanliness and disinfection of toilets, said an official from the BMC.

Used sanitary pads are considered as medical waste. So the Solid Waste Management Department of the BMC has taken various measures to dispose of sanitary pads in a scientific manner. The sanitary pad dispensing machines will be wall mounted.

A napkin incinerator has a double combustion chamber arrangement. Combustion takes place in one chamber and the gasses are being treated in another chamber at least at 950 degrees celsius. Hence, no harmful gasses are released into the atmosphere. At present, the machine is operational in 200 toilets in 13 administrative wards.