After 'safety' pads, Laila GP comes up with burners

ZP plans to install burners in 6 primary, 57 high schools in DK

Laila Gram Panchayat is here with yet another first. The Gram Panchayat, which now stands synonymous to innovations and newness, after surprising many by making local women produce sanitary pads, has now set up a sanitary pad burner in one of the local schools, which is again first of its kind in entire State.

On experimental basis, a manual burner has been kept in Karnody Dakshina Kannada Higher Primary School. While girl students in most sophisticated and elite schools face the question of where to dispose their used sanitary pads, the students of Karnody school have a hygienic and a silent way of disposing it off.

Though the burner has not yet started functioning, the administration is very happy about the fact that the burner has been installed, which will not only help disposing the pad but will also in a silent way boost the usage of pads among girls.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Laila Panchayat Development Officer Prakash Shetty said that the burner has been installed in a separate chamber next to the ladies toilets.

 Once adequate number of pads are collected in the burner, it will be set ablaze manually. The burner will have no emission of smoke and no smell at all.

There are plans to introduce the burners in two more schools soon namely Haladangady High School and Junior College and a government high school in Charmadi. The burners in these schools will be electric burners.

However, the Panchayat is waiting for the pad vending machine to be delivered, which will be installed along with the burner in the schools. “The order has been placed for the vending machine and it is due to arrive. With this, the children can use sanitary pads by dropping a coin of Rs 2 into the machine,’ says Shetty.

Huge plans

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Dr K N Vijayprakash said that the ZP has plans of having the burners in six primary schools and 57 high schools in the district using Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) grants. The unit cost will vary depending upon the set up of the toilet.

In the city, Kasaba Bengre School has been selected to have a trial burner because the strength of students is very good in this school. However, it is believed that the burner unit will be made compulsory in all High Schools in the district soon.

The new programme of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has grabbed the attention of the State Education Department, which has lauded the attempt.