Public health and urban resilience implications of sustainable sanitary waste management

In fast-growing cities, the sanitary waste from absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), such as spent diapers and napkins, poses a constant threat to public health and the environment. In Chennai, the AHP leaks into drains and bodies of water due to the repeated monsoon flooding, which increases the risk of disease and disrupts services. Uneven enforcement, infrastructure gaps, and low public participation limit the effectiveness of regulations, even though they exist. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the transition to safer, biodegradable materials are emphasized in this review, which maps these deficiencies across India, Tamil Nadu, and global exemplars. There has been progress, but operational limits, in the Greater Chennai Corporation’s efforts to upgrade assets, launch awareness programs, and forge public-private partnerships. The following is an integrated package for monsoon-resilient management: AHPs must be segregated at the source; collection must be sealed and dedicated; residuals must be routed auditedly to authorized facilities with air pollution control; and governance should be based on key performance indicators and funded by EPR fees. The goals of the scenario are to capture 70–80% of the AHP by 2030, have no more than 5% drain-leakage occurrences per km during peak weeks, and have more than 95% treatment uptime. There will also be corresponding decreases in the risk of post-flood diseases and uncontrolled emissions. Together, the public, businesses, and governments can turn a long-term problem into an opportunity for better, more resilient cityscapes.