UDUPI: While speaking about menstruation still continues to be taboo at several places, a team of teachers and boys have built a sanitary napkin disposal pit for a safe, dignified and inclusive menstrual waste disposal.
Since the incinerator for used sanitary napkin disposal at the Charamakki Narayana Shetty Memorial Government High School, Albadi- Ardi in Kundapur, was not working, Suresh Marakal, a social science teacher who had won the national award in 2019 through the Jeevan Shikshan programme, got nearly 40 students and 10 teachers, including headmaster Shekhar Shettigar and non-teaching staff to build the pit that was commissioned on Monday.
About five girls were part of the project but they restricted themselves to only cleaning the site, initially. Suresh Marakal told TOI that the project would not have been successful without the support of the headmaster and teachers. He drew inspiration from the work undertaken by Shrikantha V, a science teacher from government high school, Basrur, who has built more than 75 such pits in various schools and colleges. Jeevan Shikshan (skill development) programme for the students is in line with the National Education Policy. “The school is located in a remote area and I have noticed that 20-30% of students opt for labour-intensive jobs. Hence, we train students in masonry, pottery and other skills. This project was an attempt to sensitize the students about menstrual hygiene and learn skills,” Suresh said.
The project got support from the SDMC president and members. Work began on February 10 and was completed in a month. “A 3x3 feet pit has been built and girls will have to drop the used sanitary napkin in a hole created on the toilet wall. A six-inch PVC pipe connects the wall and the pit that is covered with a lid. Once a month, bleaching powder mixed with water is added to the pit, due which only plastic waste remains which is disposed of scientifically. The gram panchayat has extended its support to the project,” he said.
Once digging was complete, mortar work commenced and students were taught about the basics of cement mixing, rods and concrete. Shreeshank, a student whose father is a mason, helped in creating moulds for the lids.
Shrikantha V has been building such pits for six years. The first three years were spent on observation and experiments. With the help of his daughter Shwetha, an MTech environment science student, he is experimenting with other liquids as an alternative to bleaching powder.