Lok Sabha Question No. 3030 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Safe Disposal of Sanitary Products
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3030

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2024

## SAFE DISPOSAL OF SANITARY PRODUCTS

## 3030. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED :

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the specific steps, if any, being taken by the Government to improve  awareness  and  education  about  the  safe  disposal  of  sanitary napkins in rural areas;
- (b) whether there are any initiatives to provide affordable and environmental friendly disposal options, such as incinerators, biodegradable napkins, or reusable sanitary pads, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is considering promotion and distribution of the reusable  pads  as  sustainable  alternatives for  their  economical  and environmental benefits?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a):  Government has  taken appropriate  measures  to  improve  menstrual  hygiene practices through the schemes/ interventions of various Ministries/ Departments.    Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  implements  the  Scheme  for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene to increase awareness among adolescent girls, to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and to ensure safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.  Further, teachers and Front line Workers - Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (FLWANMs), Accredited Social  Health  Activist  (ASHA)  worker  and  Anganwadi  Workers (AWWs) are oriented appropriately in the scheme with the budget provided for the same  under  Rashtriya  Kishor  Swasthya  Karyakram  (RKSK).  Further,  one  of  the objectives of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) components  of 'Misson Shakti' is to generate awareness about menstrual hygiene and use of sanitary napkins.

Ministry  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  under  Swachh  Bharat  Abhiyan  has developed  National  Guidelines  on  Menstrual  Hygiene  Management  (MHM)  for creating awareness on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in rural areas as part of  its  overall  interventions  related  to  behaviour  change  on  sanitation  hygiene aspect.   Further,  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  implements  an integrated scheme  namely 'Samagra Shiksha' under which State specific projects for varied interventions on menstrual health and hygiene including installation of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators are sanctioned. Ministry of Woman and Child Development implements the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) under which, one of the component is improving their health and nutritional status and to motivate them to go back to formal schooling.

(b) and (c): The, Department of Health Research under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) carries out research and studies to look into the newer methods of managing menstrual health and other sustainable alternatives to sanitary napkins for their safety, acceptability, affordability, efficacy and feasibility among women in public health program setting.

In addition, since 2015-16, the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme is supported by 'National Health  Mission'  (NHM)  through  State  Programme Implementation  Plan  (PIP)  route based on the proposals received from the States. The States have been instructed to take up procurement of sanitary napkin packs at prices reached through competitive bidding. In the year 2021-22, approximately 35.31 lakh and during the year 2022-23, approximately 44.85 lakh adolescent girls were provided sanitary napkin pack every month as per 'Health Management Information System' (HMIS) data. The Government has  also  taken initiatives  to  improve  the  accessibility of sanitary  napkins  and  good quality  medicines  at  affordable  price.  The  Department  of  Pharmaceuticals  under Ministry  of  Chemicals  and  Fertilizers  implements  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Bharatiya Janausadhi Pariyojna (PMBJP), which is an  important  step  in  ensuring  the  health security for women. Under the project, over 12600 Janaushidhi Kendras have been set up across the country that provide Oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins named 'Suvidha'  at  Rs.  1/-  per  pad  only.  These  sanitary  napkins  are  also  environmental friendly,  as  these  pads  are  made  with  Oxo-biodegradable  material  complying  with ASTM D- 6954 (biodegradability test) standards. The cumulative sales of 'Suvidha'

Napkins as on 30.06.2024 is 57 crores.

*****