Guwahati: One of the most basic needs of women is sanitary pads. According to research, only 36% of women in India have access to sanitary pads. On the one hand, the sanitary pad aids in the protection of women during their periods. However, it is extremely detrimental to the environment.
Every year, around 1 lakh tonnes of old pads are thrown in landfills in India. According to the Menstrual Health Alliance India, it takes 500 to 800 years to dispose of a sanitary napkin. Napkins are made of non-biodegradable plastics and super-absorbent polymers, which make them difficult to disintegrate and represent a threat to the environment.
Dr. Madhurita Gupta of Mumbai and her brother Roopan Gupta have collaborated to create the ‘Solar Lajja,’ a solar-powered sanitary pad disposal machine. Masks and PPE kits, in addition to sanitary pads, can be decomposed in this machine. This produces ash, which can be used as manure. More than 38 Solar Lajjas have been installed across the country thus far. Madhurita also makes a yearly salary of 20 lakh rupees from social service.
Madhurita stated “While working in the forests, I learned that tribal women suffer a lot of problems during their periods,”. Due to a shortage of facilities, those individuals used to fill sackcloth with sand during periods, causing them to contract a variety of ailments. We began distributing pads to assist them.
After spreading the pad, the next issue was how to get rid of it. Because of the blood in the pads, girls in many tribal areas were assaulted by wild animals when they threw pads. His concerns prompted me to try something new, and thus Solar Lajja was born.”
Madhurita and her brother Roopan Gupta aged 35, who studied at IITs and IIMs, shared the burden of disposing of sanitary pads. Rupan has a lot of information about equipment thanks to his engineering schooling background. After months of research, sister and brother created “Solar Lajja,” a solar-powered sanitary pad incinerator. Solar Lajja was released in 2019 by his company, Arnav Greentech Innovations.
Sanitary is a requirement for women and a major environmental issue,” Madhurita argues. Many companies make sanitary pad incinerators, but they are electric. I wanted a solution to this. Even today, there are many regions in the country where it is difficult to predict when electricity will arrive, therefore we wanted to create a solar-powered machine. We conducted 9 months of research before producing Solar Lajja.”
According to Madhurita, Solar Lajja is fully eco-friendly and long-lasting. It is solar-powered. It is free to use after it is installed. The solar panels on it will be charged by sunshine, allowing the machine to function
Along with sanitary napkins, this machine can also be used to dispose of other biomedical waste such as tampons, diapers, masks, and PPE kits in an environmentally responsible manner. However, when compared to other machines, it uses up to 25% less energy. It can get rid of 200 pads in a day and turn them into ashes. This ash can be utilised in the fields or gardens as manure. It can be put in a private enterprise, a school, or a college, in addition to public venues.
“Even now, more than 60% of girls are unable to change pads on time due to a lack of facilities to dispose of pads in classrooms,” Madhurita explains. This is harmful to their health. The landfill, as well as the water supply and animals, are all threatened by inappropriate pad management.
The Solar Lajja can also be equipped with a ‘pad dispensing’ machine. We’re also giving sanitary pads to a lot of the women in the area. At the same time, they’re informing kids that they shouldn’t wear the same clothing over and over again and that they need look after their own health.”
Solar Lajja operates in an automatic mode, requiring only one minute to dispose of the pad. Aside from that, each unit of ‘Solar Lajja’ saves roughly 48000 watts of electricity, lowering its carbon impact.
As people become more aware of the benefits of solar energy, the demand for solar lajja is constantly increasing.
It may be noted that Madhuritha and her team have deployed 38 machines across 11 states, which began in 2019.
They have placed equipment in numerous cities and villages across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Sikkim. Apart from that, Germany, Sweden, and Spain have expressed interest in this machine.
Madhurita is increasing the pace of her efforts. She is currently receiving a large number of orders, but due to her small manufacturing unit, she is unable to accept any additional orders. Solar Lajja is being installed in a variety of schools, colleges, hospitals, offices, and public spaces. Solar Lajja’s most basic unit costs 43 thousand dollars. Its size may be adjusted as needed, and Madhurita has donated the equipment to a number of organizations through her business. Women have also been granted jobs in large numbers. She also earns 20 lakh rupees per year as a result of this.