Schools to have automatic sanitary napkin incinerators

The Education Department has decided to buy more than 4,000 wall-mounted incinerators for over 3,000 government high and higher secondary schools. “The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation has been entrusted with the task of procuring 4,161 quality automatic electrical sanitary napkin incinerators,” an official from Education Department told DTNext. 

According to him, these incinerators will be installed at 1,896 government high schools and 1,438 higher secondary schools in Tamil Nadu. Students are finding it difficult to dispose the napkins during their school hours, the official said. 

“We have invited several companies for the supply of incinerators through tender process. The equipment will be supplied within three months after executing the purchase order,” the official said. He said the proposed incinerators’ capacity will be from five to 10 napkin pads per cycle with a minimum of 200 pads per day.

Equipped with the ISI mark, the incinerators, having a length of 2.5 metres, also come with thermally insulated front door. Emission outlets of the incinerators include a metal pipe exhaust on top and flexible steel hose of a minimum length of two meter with clamp provision. 

The official also pointed out that it has been ensured that the maintenance aspect of the incinerators will be taken care of by the supplying companies. 

“Strict norms will be followed right from the installation of incinerators,” he added. Launched by late CM J Jayalalithaa at a cost of about Rs 45 crore, the free napkin scheme benefited 40 lakh adolescents in the 10-19 age group in rural areas. 

For students of government schools, napkins were distributed through teachers, while adolescents can get them through  Anganwadi Workers of  Integrated Children Development Centres.