Dharmendra Pradhan to launch Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will launch Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins Initiative on December 30.

Under the CSR initiative by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), manufacturing units of Ujjwala Sanitary Napkins will be set up at the Common Service Centres across Odisha.

Under the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin initiative, 100 local manufacturing units will be set up at Common Service Centres (CSCs) across all 30 districts, covering 93 blocks in the state.

As per NFHS-4 report, overall use of sanitary napkins in Odisha is 33.5 pecent. Only 42.8% of rural women between the age of 15-24 years use proper hygienic methods of protection during menstruation.

The cost of setting up these manufacturing units is Rs. 2.94 srores. Each facility will have the capacity to produce 1200-2000 pads each day and will have a sterilization room to ensure that the napkins are sterilised before they are packed for consumption of rural women, said an official.

The CSCs are also being provided with raw material, enough to make 45,000-50,000 pads. These napkins will be priced at Rs. 40 per pack; each pack containing 8 pads, the official said.

Fulfilling the purpose of this CSR initiative, each manufacturing unit will employ 5 to 6 Ujjwala beneficiaries thus providing employment to about 600 Ujjwala beneficiaries across all districts.

By providing women training in manufacturing and sale of sanitary napkins, this initiative not only provides them with a dignified channel to earn their livelihood but also equips them with entrepreneurial skills.

It is important to note that the Ujjwala sanitary pads will be made of virgin wood pulp sheet, non-woven white sheet and a gel sheet which are all biodegradable in nature and will leave minimal carbon footprint, giving further impetus to PM Narendra Modi’s flagship initiative of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

This initiative by the IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will help change the way rural Odisha perceives menstrual health, achieving the twin objective of improving women’s health and encouraging basic hygiene practices.