Karad Sets National Example in Sanitary Waste Management with Innovative Solutions

Sanitary waste—including sanitary napkins, diapers, and other personal hygiene products—is typically disposed of improperly, leading to serious environmental and public health hazards.

In a country where sanitary waste management remains a persistent and under-addressed challenge, the small city of Karad in Maharashtra’s Satara district has emerged as a model of innovation, sustainability, and community-driven action. Tackling the often-ignored issue of sanitary and biomedical waste, Karad has achieved 100% segregation, collection, and treatment of such waste, setting a benchmark for urban waste management that other cities across India can emulate.

A Rising Concern Across India

Sanitary waste—including sanitary napkins, diapers, and other personal hygiene products—is typically disposed of improperly, leading to serious environmental and public health hazards. The issue is further complicated by the social stigma and lack of awareness surrounding menstrual hygiene and personal care products. Across India, millions of sanitary napkins are discarded in open dumps, drains, and landfills every day, where they take hundreds of years to decompose, pollute groundwater, and expose sanitation workers to infectious pathogens.

Karad’s Bold and Comprehensive Approach

In stark contrast, Karad—a city with a population of over 75,000—collects 300 to 350 kg of sanitary waste daily from households, hospitals, clinics, and public spaces. The success of the city’s sanitary waste management system lies in its holistic, inclusive, and sustainable approach involving municipal leadership, public-private partnerships, and active citizen participation.

Breaking the Silence: Community Education and Awareness

One of the first steps taken by the Karad Municipal Council (KMC) was to confront the taboo around sanitary waste. The administration, alongside local NGOs and volunteers, launched a comprehensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign aimed at educating the public—especially women and adolescents—about proper sanitary waste segregation and disposal.

Workshops, public service announcements, and outreach programs in schools and neighborhoods helped build community ownership. Local women’s groups, formed through municipal collaboration, played a key role in engaging with other women, explaining the importance of hygiene and the health risks posed by improper disposal.

Infrastructure That Supports Behavior Change

To support sanitary practices, the city has installed red bins in public toilets and sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in schools. Students are taught to wrap used sanitary pads in paper before discarding them, and many schools have installed on-site incinerators to handle disposal responsibly.

Karad’s garbage collection vehicles are equipped with separate compartments specifically for sanitary waste. Sanitation staff receive special training and safety gear to handle this waste, ensuring that it is never mixed with general municipal garbage.

High-Tech, Eco-Friendly Waste Processing

Collected sanitary and biomedical waste is transported to a centralized Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) operated under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the Karad Municipal Council and the Karad Hospital Association. Located on municipally allocated land, this state-of-the-art facility has a processing capacity of 600 kg/day and includes a high-temperature incinerator that operates at up to 1200°C.

During incineration, organic waste materials are oxidized to generate heat, gas, and ash. Crucially, the facility is equipped with advanced gas filtration systems that capture and neutralize harmful emissions, ensuring that the incineration process adheres to State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) standards. Real-time data from emission monitors is directly linked to the SPCB for regulatory oversight.

Economic and Environmental Impact

This model of waste treatment has had far-reaching benefits:

• Reduced financial burden on the municipal council, as it only handles waste collection and transport, while processing is covered under the PPP agreement.

• Increased safety for sanitation workers, who no longer face direct exposure to infectious waste.

• Improved environmental health, with the elimination of open dumping sites and reduced groundwater contamination.

• Enhanced quality of life for residents, especially women, who are now empowered with safe and stigma-free disposal options.

A Model for Replication

Karad’s success story has attracted attention from municipal bodies across Maharashtra and India. Its integrated strategy—combining education, infrastructure, public-private collaboration, and policy enforcement—offers a scalable and replicable model for other towns and cities struggling with the growing challenge of sanitary waste management.

Looking Forward

Encouraged by its success, Karad is exploring expansions of its waste processing infrastructure, integration of waste-to-energy technologies, and deeper community engagement for sustainable menstrual hygiene education. The city’s journey highlights the transformative potential of local governance backed by citizen participation and private sector efficiency.

In a nation that generates over 12 billion sanitary pads annually, Karad stands out as a shining example of how innovative solutions, open dialogue, and inclusive planning can turn a deeply stigmatized issue into a catalyst for cleaner, healthier communities.