10 new Suvidha centres to provide dignified sanitation services in low-income communities

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and JSW Foundation signed an agreement to establish these centres that are aimed at providing dignified sanitation services – safe toilets, purified drinking water, showers and laundry services – in low-income communities.

Mumbai: Two lakh slumdwellers will get to bathe, do their laundry and even use the toilet at a minimal cost at the 10 Suvidha centres that will be set up in the city.

10 new Suvidha centres to provide dignified sanitation services in low-income communities

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and JSW Foundation signed an agreement to establish these centres that are aimed at providing dignified sanitation services – safe toilets, purified drinking water, showers and laundry services – in low-income communities.

Launched in 2016, HUL already runs 12 Suvidha centres in Mumbai through a public-private-partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and HSBC India impacting three lakh people annually.

All amenities will be available at affordable rates including drinking water at ₹1 per litre and a monthly pass at ₹150 for a family. Through rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling methods, the new centres will save 300 million litres of water over a decade and will run on solar energy.

Suvidha centres are conceived keeping in mind the safety and well-being of women and children through inclusive design, adequate lighting, CCTV cameras and a panic button for emergencies.

Moreover, HUL and JSW Foundation will undertake an extensive behaviour change programme on health and nutrition through home-to-home visits to the communities around the centres. These centres will also be run by staff hired from the nearby communities.

Sangita Jindal, chairperson, JSW Foundation said, “Through this partnership with HUL, we are fostering a collective social action to further expand the network of Suvidha centres in the city with the aim to provide fresh drinking water and other sanitation services to low-income communities residing in Mumbai city.”

Sanjiv Mehta, CEO and managing director, Hindustan Unilever, said, “Our Suvidha centres exemplify how innovation and collective action by the public and private sectors can help address urban sanitation challenges.”

Stating that expanding access to quality sanitation for an additional two lakh people residing in urban slums is paramount, Iqbal Singh Chahal, commissioner and administrator, BMC, said, “With 12 Suvidha centres already operational, we are committed to replicate and scale this model making quality sanitation and hygiene facilities a reality for a larger population in Mumbai.

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our collective efforts to create a safe, inclusive, and healthy city for all,” added Chahal.

BOX:

Services and cost

Suvidha Centre: ₹150 per month per family pass

Toilets: ₹3 per use

Showers: ₹10 per use

Washing Machine/Laundry Services: ₹60 per load

Drinking Water: ₹1 per litre or ₹15 per 20 litre