Roundtable 2
WASH & Waste Management- Key Highlights
Introduction:
Ensuring access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities is crucial, not only in schools but also in various non-school settings. In West Bengal, there’s a growing focus on WASH and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) in both urban and rural areas. This article discusses the challenges faced and potential solutions for responsive WASH facilities, waste management, and menstrual waste disposal. The contents of this article stems from the MHH conclave hosted by Anahat For Change Foundation in Kolkata on 2nd November 2023.
Responsive WASH Facilities in Schools:
1. Functional Toilets for All:
– Provision of separate toilets for girls, boys, trans, and Children with Special Needs (CWSN)/Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
– Ensuring proper amenities and cleanliness, with special attention to the girl’s toilets.
2. Handwashing Facilities:
– Functional taps and handwashing facilities to promote hygiene.
3. Changing Room and Pad Vending Machines:
– Inclusion of changing rooms with pad vending machines and proper disposal systems.
– Accessibility for PwD/CWSN emphasized.
4. O&M Planning and Accountability:
– Monthly meetings involving teachers, students, and stakeholders for O&M planning and accountability.
– Regular training sessions for efficient and sustainable use of facilities.
5. Fundraising Initiatives:
– Innovative fundraising campaigns, such as the Wash Institute’s initiative, where schools charge a nominal fee for menstrual pads to maintain WASH infrastructure.
Responsive WASH Facilities in Non-School Settings:
1. Availability of Water and Sanitation:
– Adequate water and improved sanitation facilities in households, worksites, healthcare facilities (HCF), Panchayat/GP offices, and community centers.
2. Handwashing Facilities and Waste Disposal:
– Sustainable sanitation models and handwashing facilities with soap.
– Effective waste disposal mechanisms, with a focus on community-level resources for waste management.
3. Menstrual Waste Management:
– Addressing menstrual waste disposal challenges through awareness campaigns.
– Promoting reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups.
WASH Gaps and Needs:
1. Quality Standards and Adequacy:
– Ensuring WASH facilities meet quality standards and are adequate for the population they serve.
2. O&M Revenue Models:
– Exploring revenue models for sustainable O&M, including grants and composite grants.
3. Ownership and Behavior Change:
– Fostering a sense of ownership among stakeholders.
– Promoting behavior change through awareness programs.
WASH Facilities in Urban West Bengal:
1. Existing Facilities:
– Flagship programs like SBM Urban-II focusing on WASH and waste management.
– Initiatives promoting changing rooms, public toilets, and household waste segregation.
2. Challenges:
– Lack of guidelines for menstrual waste collection in urban areas.
– Limited allocation of grants for school WASH.
3. Good Practices:
– Jan Ausadhi Kendra provides affordable biodegradable pads.
– Promoting reusable alternatives and strengthening supply chains.
WASH Facilities in Rural West Bengal:
1. Existing Challenges:
– Lack of proper waste management facilities at the household level.
– Issues with the scale-up of pilot projects for menstrual waste disposal.
2. Recommendations:
– Focus on awareness and individual-level waste segregation.
– Involvement of Gram Panchayats in designing safe disposal mechanisms.
3. Good Practices:
– Matka concept for pad disposal, an earthen incinerator with neem leaves.
Conclusion: While West Bengal faces challenges in WASH and waste management, there are encouraging initiatives and practices. Strengthening awareness, community involvement, and innovative solutions are essential to address these issues and ensure a cleaner and healthier future for the residents of West Bengal.
KEY TAKEAWAYS BY REFLECTOR:
Lack of effective solutions for WASH and waste management.
Lack of alternative solutions for disposal of sanitary napkins- several pilot projects have been implemented in different regions, however, scale-up has been unsuccessful.
Discussions of sanitary waste management in non-institutional setups and collective responsibility of the community and governance setup should be encouraged.
Quantifying the scale of the disposal issue is necessary since only 36% of women in India have access to disposable pads which has led to this burning issue of waste management. Total waste created by this 36% of women is close to 1,13,000 tonnes which at this moment stands unmanageable.
There is a need to address taboo and stigma related to period product disposal and it needs to start at a family level.
Campaigns like ‘The Red Dot’ which propagates safe disposal of menstrual waste need to be encouraged and implemented effectively.
People need to be sensitized that the endline handlers of this waste are also people. We need to address the dumping of menstrual waste in water bodies especially in rural areas of WB where water from ponds is being used by communities for multiple purposes.
Alternative solutions like incinerators require a temperature of 800-1000 degrees to burn pads effectively and small incinerators cannot provide that technology and capacity.
There are some incinerators in the market with that capacity but their cost is very high.
Lack of R&D in sanitary waste disposal technology.
Need for investment in technology for safe disposal. For eg- Pathcare labs
Products need to have accountability and safety standards Extended Producer Responsibility needs to be leveraged for safe disposal of sanitary pads.