64 GOVT SCHOOLS HAVE SANITARY PAD VENDING MACHINES, INCINERATOR INSTALLED
Harinder Nikka , Barnala, Jan 29:2021
Sanitary pad vending machines are proving boon for the 12867 girl students of 64 government senior secondary and high schools wherein good menstrual hygiene practices and better reproductive health care is being promoted.
Elaborating on it the Deputy Commissioner Barnala Mr Tej Partap Singh Phoolka said that in order to shun the hesitation on menstrual hygiene and ensure that the girl students get best of help, the government schools in district have been providing sanitary napkins since August 2019.
Since then the facility has been added to 64 schools including 37 secondary and 27 high schools. District Education Officer (Sec) Mr Sarabjit Singh Toor said that there are 115 total schools in the district where these machines are to be installed. The work on installing these facilities on 51 schools would be done as per the further orders of the department.
Barnala has received a grant of Rs 20.48 lakhs to the tune of Rs 32000 per unit. The pads are provided to students from classes 6th to 12th. Every student gets 3 packets a month and each pack has 6 sanitary pads. Students of classes 6th to 8th class students get regular sized napkins, while that of classes 9th to 12th get large sized napkins.
Deputy DEO (E) Vasundhara said that the usage of machines and incinerators are also proving instrumental in promoting safe ways of disposing of menstrual waste in girls. “Earlier, girl students used to dispose off the used pads in toilets thereby leading to clogging of the sewer. However, with the introduction of vending machines and incinerators, the scenario is changing. Girls now know that the waste needs to be disposed responsibly either in dustbins or in incinerators,” she reasons.
Working of machines:
While the vending machines provide pads free of cost, the incinerator burns away used pads. The used pads are put in incinerators, which burn it away using electricity. This has also mitigated pollution caused due to menstrual waste as instead of throwing away used pads in open, the same is being burnt away.
Machines have been installed at following high and secondary schools:
Barnala, Bhadaur, Dhanaula, Shaina, Thikriwal, Badra, Bakhtgarh, Bhaini Jassa, Bathlan, Chhiniwal Khurd, Dangarh, Kaire, Khuddi Khurd, Kitba, Mangewal, Rajia, Sahour, Alkara, Aspal Kalan, Aspal Khurd, Attargarh, Badathe, Bhaini Fatta, Bhure, Chuhanke Kalan, Dhanaula Khurd, Dhaner, Dhaula, Fatehgarh Channa, Gangohar, Gumti, Jodhpur, Kahneke, Khiali, Kalala, Lohgarh, Majhuke, Mallian, Manal, Mehta, Nangal, Pandori, Patti Bajwa, Patti Sekhwan, Raisar Patial, Rureke Khurd, Sandhu Kalan, Sanger Patti Dhanaula, Thulewal, Jawanda and Rajgarh.
