Mumbai, Oct 18, 2024: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and JSW Foundation, as part of their partnership to establish 10 new Suvidha centres in Mumbai, have launched the first such facility at Jagruti Nagar in Ghatkopar to address hygiene and sanitation needs of low-income communities.
This facility, launched Thursday, builds on the successful Suvidha Model initiated by HUL in 2016, which currently operates 17 centres in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and HSBC India, impacting over 450,000 people annually.
The Suvidha Centres are designed to address the comprehensive hygiene, and sanitation needs of low-income communities, offering all essential services under one roof. The tested and proven holistic approach is built around human centric design, providing safety to women & children, and working with the communities. These facilities, in addition to strong community engagement and strong operating processes leads to high satisfaction and improved health outcomes among users.
The new centre will benefit an additional 20,000 people, providing access to safe toilets that run 24x7, purified drinking water, showers, and laundry services. The services will be offered at affordable rates
The facility is inclusively designed keeping in mind the needs of women, children, elderly and the differently-abled. The centre has separate washrooms for men, women and children with facilities for senior citizens and the specially-abled. To ensure safety of the women using the facility, the washrooms are equipped with a ‘panic button’ for emergencies.
Sashidhar Vempala, Chief Sustainability Officer, Hindustan Unilever, said, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our first Suvidha center in collaboration with JSW Foundation, making this the 18th centre in Mumbai. This marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing safe and dignified sanitation services to underserved communities in the city. This partnership not only expands access to essential hygiene facilities but also embodies our dedication to sustainability and community empowerment. Together, we are paving the way for a healthier, more inclusive future, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to thrive in a clean and safe environment."
Suvidha centres are powered by solar energy and 140 million litres has already been saved cumulatively through the centres. HUL and JSW Foundation will run a comprehensive behaviour change program in the communities around the centre to ensure improvement in individual and overall community health.
Commenting on the first jointly launched Suvidha Centre in Jagruti Nagar, Ashwini Saxena, CEO of JSW Foundation, said, “Our partnership with Hindustan Unilever Limited and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to set up the Suvidha Centres reflect JSW Foundation’s commitment towards empowering the local communities with a focus on the safety and welfare of women and children. We believe this partnership will go a long way in ensuring equitable access to quality and affordable sanitation facilities for the people of Mumbai.”
According to a press release, over 450,000 men, women, and children currently have access to clean sanitation facilities under Suvidha centres. A total of 140 million litres of water saved by 17 centres cumulatively till date. Nine in 10 users find Suvidha centres easy to access and inclusive. About 98% women believe Suvidha is safe for them and their children. There is around 50% reduction in diarrhoea and UTI cases among Suvidha users.
There is over 90% user satisfaction among women and children on Suvidha services, the release said.
 Prof Srinivasan Raghavan, Chair of CeNSE IISc, Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director IISC, Siddharth Jain, Director - INOX Group, Diganta Sarma, RBH - INOXAP and Dr Dhavala Suri, Asst Prof, CeNSE.JPG)
