Mumbai: After its first project in Asalpha, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and JSW Foundation have launched the second Suvidha Centre in Goregaon’s Dindoshi. The partnership aims to set up 10 Suvidha Centres across Mumbai to address the comprehensive hygiene and sanitation needs of low-income communities.

Suvidha Centre is a purpose built, sustainable and first-of-its-kind urban water, hygiene and sanitation community center that provides hygiene and sanitation solutions to low-income households in Mumbai.

HUL, a renowned fast-moving consumer goods company, and JSW Foundation, the social development arm of JSW Group, had built their first joint Suvidha Centre in Asalpha in October and launched their second facility in Dindoshi.

These hygiene and sanitation facility provides all essential services under one roof. This initiative builds on the successful Suvidha Model initiated by HUL in 2016, making the Dindoshi facility the 20th centre as part of HUL’s public-private partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, JSW Foundation and HSBC India.

The newly built Suvidha Centre in Dindoshi is expected to benefit 20,000 people, providing access to safe toilets that run 24x7, purified drinking water, showers, and laundry services at affordable rates.

This centre is designed by keeping in mind the needs of women, children, elderly and the differently-abled with a special focus on women safety. To ensure safety of the women using the facility, the washrooms are also equipped with a panic button for emergencies.

HUL and JSW Foundation have claimed that 180 million litre water has been saved cumulatively through water management practices at the Suvidha Centres, which are powered by solar energy. The partnership also aims to to run a comprehensive behaviour change program in the communities around the centre to ensure improvement in individual and overall community health.

The partnership claims that around 5 lakh people have access to clean sanitation facilities through 20 Suvidha centres built until now, adding that 98% women believe Suvidha is safe for them and reduction in Diarrhoea and UTI cases among Suvidha users by 50%.

Sashidhar Vempala, Chief Sustainability Officer at HUL, said, “At HUL, we're proud to drive transformative change through our Suvidha centres, providing best-in-class hygiene and sanitation facilities. This pioneering model, initiated in 2016 by HUL stands as a testament to the power of partnerships. We, along with our partners remain committed to creating a healthier and more sustainable future for all.”

Harshvardhan Nawathe, CEO of JSW Foundation said, “We remain committed to strengthening urban communities through our collaboration with Hindustan Unilever Limited and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Our primary focus is providing accessible and affordable sanitation facilities in densely populated pockets across Mumbai while ensuring the safety of women and children.”