For proper disposal of sanitary napkins, funds of ₹34 lakh have been sent to 140 senior secondary schools across the state to get incinerator machines installed in girl’s toilets.
Ludhiana district has received ₹5.7 lakh from the state and the amount, ₹24, 871 each, will be transferred to 23 senior secondary schools by Monday for the installation of the incinerators.
The step was taken by the director general of the school education (DGSE) office to promote better hygiene practices in government schools. A letter in this regard was issued by the school education secretary, Krishan Kumar, to the districts and funds were transferred to districts, which will be e-transferred to the schools to purchase the machines.
There are 342 government senior and high schools in the district out of which 100 senior secondary schools of Ludhiana already have the incinerator machines, either donated by NGOs or businessmen in the last two years.
SCHOOLS WITH MOST GIRL POPULATION SELECTED
{{/usCountry}}SCHOOLS WITH MOST GIRL POPULATION SELECTED
{{/usCountry}}According to the DGSE office, the authorities selected those schools which are either girl’s schools or the ones who have more strength of girl students. The school principals have been instructed to spend the funds by maintaining a record and take two years annual maintenance contract to get the machines serviced.
The incinerator burns sanitary napkins into ashes and this way basic sanitation facilities can be provided to female students.
Manju Bhardwaj, a smart school coordinator, said, “I will send the names of schools without incinerators to the head office for approval. The funds will be sent to these schools once we receive consent from the higher authorities.”
The school principals have stated that this way the toilets can be kept clean because sanitary napkins are normally thrown in washrooms by students which is unhygienic. Female teachers and girls will be trained to use the machine.