Nearly three months after its launch, an ambitious project by the Kozhikode Corporation to distribute menstrual cups appeared to have faltered, with only about 10% of the first phase reaching beneficiaries in the city.

According to corporation records, of the 59,338 menstrual cups procured from HLL Lifecare Ltd. at a cost of ₹1.77 crore, only 5,744 have been distributed so far. The civic body had originally planned to hand out 438 cups per division, but distribution has taken place in only 15 out of the 75 divisions.

The project, inaugurated on April 30, initially targeted school and college students, women in government services, and domestic workers within city limits. Later, it was revised to cover all women residing in the corporation’s jurisdiction. The menstrual cups, with a lifespan of five to ten years, are being distributed free of cost.

An audit department report has attributed the delay to the lack of a clear beneficiary list and organisational shortcomings. It noted that the limited progress in three months meant “considerable time has already been lost” in executing the initiative.

However, Health Standing Committee chairperson S. Jayasree told The Hindu on Tuesday (August 12) that the delay was also due to preparatory requirements. “Many were not aware of this scheme, and intended beneficiaries did not come forward initially,“ she said.

Besides, a transfer of the official coordinating the programme caused further disruption. “ But now everything has been scheduled to go ahead as planned. We hope to complete the project soon,” Dr. Jayasree said, adding that Kudumbashree members were the main focus for the first phase of the campaign.

Corporation Health Officer Munawar Rahman said the first phase has been completed in 15 wards, with an average of 400 cups distributed per ward. “We have finished distributing about 6,000 cups so far. The remaining 60 wards will receive them within the next 50 days,” he said, pointing out that the distribution pace was affected as councillors were occupied with election procedures.

Dr. Rahman said the civic body planned to step up the campaign, with updates in newspapers on distribution locations and beneficiary guidelines. “We will make this a strong awareness initiative so that the remaining stock reaches the women,” he added.

The menstrual cups were manufactured in March 2024 and carry an expiry date of February 2029, giving the corporation just under four years to ensure full distribution.