WARANGAL: Even as disposal of used sanitary napkins remains a contentious issue in the country, few NGOs have come up with solutions to replace them with low cost eco-friendly reusable cotton sanitary napkins. Disposable sanitary napkins replaced traditional strips of old cotton saris four decades ago in the country.
Organisations like Gramalaya, a Tiruchirappalli based voluntary organisation working for water and sanitation and Jatan Sansthan from Rajasthan, are doing commendable work in the areas of manufacturing cotton sanitary napkins which could be reused several times.
They claim that despite reusing the napkins, they remain hygienic and safe. Gramalaya had sold over 1.5 lakh reusable cotton sanitary napkins under the brand ‘Feel Free’ in last three years in six Southern states, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whereas Jatan Sansthan is promoting sanitary napkins under ‘UGER pads’ brand. “One pad can be used 65 to 70 times and costs `80, thus making it cheaper when compared to the disposable one,” claimed Ankur, a representative of Jatan Sansthan, who came to take part in an awareness campaign organised by Administrative Staff College of India in Warangal city.
According to him, the thin gel pads do not suit all users and many of them reported discomfort, infection, allergies and severe itching. On the other hand, the cotton pads are safe, hygienic and environmentally friendly. Besides, these pads provide a livelihood as they are handmade, thereby generating employment within the community, he explained. Gramalaya too had been promoting cotton sanitary pads on a large scale among over four lakh adolescent girls and women.