Rewind the clock: Historic monuments in Maharashtra to receive CSR boost under new bill
February 13, 2022
Drawing a better future for our oceans: Emirates Draw backs the Coral Reef Programme
February 14, 2022
The 7th and the largest Suvidha Centre in Mumbai was launched by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and HSBC India in partnership with the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC). The Centre is a part of HUL’s Suvidha Project – an initiative designed to improve community hygiene and sanitation standards.
The latest Suvidha Centre is located in Dharavi, one of the most densely populated places on the planet, with some 2,00,000-odd people calling it home. Suvidhas are an integral part of HUL’s plans to enhance community living standards and provide better access to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) facilities for communities.
The Dharavi Suvidha Centre will be one of the largest community blocks and occupies a two-story building. The centre will have 111 toilets and cater to 50,000 users annually. Other amenities include bathing facilities, RO drinking water and laundry services. The creation of the centre is expected to have a positive impact on the area, which is crippled by the lack of proper hygiene and sanitation facilities.
HUL and HSBC India have gone a step further and incorporated sustainability as a core principle of the Suvidha Centres. Accordingly, the Dharavi Suvidha Centre will run on solar power and include facilities for the treatment and reutilization of greywater from wash basins and laundromats. The reclaimed water will then be put to use for flushing the 111 toilets.
The Suvidha Project is an example of how CSR can be employed for the benefit of a community. India’s problem with toilets, or the lack of therein, is a serious impediment to the country’s overall progress. Areas like Dharavi suffer from this longstanding problem, which has a negative impact on the community.
Recognizing the need for better facilities, the BMC had allocated Rs. 323 crores for the construction of public toilets. What’s more, authorities cleared proposals for 22,770 toilets in 2020. The Suvidha Project fits in perfectly with not only the BMC plans but the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as well.
HUL, HSBC India and the BMC confirmed that another ten Suvidha centres would be built across the city. It is projected that approximately 4,00,000 people will benefit from such centres and save a cumulative total of 800 million litres of water over the next 10 years.
Commenting on the development, Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman & MB, HUL, said that the Suvidha centres are a testament of HUL’s commitment to public welfare. “Our largest Suvidha Centre in Dharavi, which has been established in partnership with HSBC India and the BMC, is a powerful example of how health and wellbeing goals can be achieved at scale when public and private partners come together,” he concluded.
Read more news and initiatives
