Lucknow's Charbagh Metro station gets a new Sanitary Napkin Vending Machine

To support women empowerment, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has taken up the initiative to help ensure menstrual health and hygiene. The metro corporation has installed biodegradable sanitary napkin vending machines at Charbagh metro station. The move is a pivotal one in ensuring the health and hygiene of the female passengers travelling through the metro route.

The vending machine installed at the Charbagh Metro station is the first of man yet to come. The LMRC proposed installation of several such vending machines in metro stations across Lucknow. Stations including Hazratganj, CCS Airport and Munshipulia are among the next few to have the vending machines installed.

An initiative worth talking about

The vending machine is stocked with 50 napkins and a single piece costs Rs 5. The machine will dish out a sanitary napkin on inserting ₹5 coin in it and if you don't have a coin you can exchange it at the ticket counters.

The sanitary napkins are not just good for female hygiene, they are also environment friendly, which means that unlike the napkins fashioned out of plastics these can decompose naturally over time and would not create toxic waste.

The vending machine would also ensure that if a female requires a napkin in case of an emergency, they have the opportunity to do so.

The vending machines are connected to GPS, which ensures that the NGO (Panthalassa, which helped install the vending machines) is sent a signal to refill it.

Aaliya Waseem, a resident of Charbagh believes that this is the beginning of a widespread campaign. "Not just at metro stations, the government should also put vending machines at public restrooms and ensure their cleanliness. I believe we can create a more hygienic and rounded environment with these efforts," she said.