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ECO – friendly Toilet:
In South
India, the concept and technology of ecological sanitation has
been strongly promoted by Mr. Paul Calvert for the last ten years.
Calvert has founded “Eco-Solutions” who have published the book “Ecological
solutions to flush toilet failures”. The most common model of Ecosan implemented in Tamil Nadu till date is a composting toilet with
separation of urine and possibly also of wash water.
The
System:
This Ecosan toilet is built above the ground with two chambers
beneath the pan to collect faecal matter.
Urine and wash water are diverted and let out into a home garden. The two
chambers collect faecal matter over which ash is
strewn to dehydrate and deodorize it. The composting chamber needs to be
emptied only once a year, by which time faecal
matter is changed into powdery manure. Eco-toilets do not smell because faeces is covered with dry ash (or soil, lime, sawdust,
dry plant matter etc.) which dehydrates it.
Salient
features of Eco-Sanitation:
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Minimal or no
water requirement.
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No pollution to
air, water and land.
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Minimal or no
recurring costs for maintenance. (Minimal costs for re-fixing of
composting chamber door.)
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Depending on
choices for super-structure, low cost construction.
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Hygienically
adequate treatment of human wastes.
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Easily feasible
recycling of treated human wastes, directly on site.
Experiences of Women SHGs in Eco-Sanitation
1. Location:
Anumandhaikuppam, a village is located in between
Pondicherry
to Marakkanam on the East Coast Road. The village is
20 kms distance from Pondicherry.
2. Self Help Groups: Alaiyosai
and Kadalparavai SHG members came forward to adopt
the Eco-sanitation toilet for their family members in Tsunami-affected areas
of Anumandai-kuppam.
3. Capacity
Building:
PRA: A PRA (participatory rural appraisal) exercise was conducted by
Palmyra with all
concerned SHG members in the month of March 2006 in order to obtain
information on members age & education, types of
houses, available boats, identify interested beneficiaries, land available
for construction of toilet and need of toilets.
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SHG members, Anumandaikuppam
SHG members, Vada Agaram
Mr.Selvaraj, Project Officer, DRDA,
Villupuram, addressing importance of
the Eco-sanitation
Dr.Lucas, Eco Pro, Auroville,
delivering
speech at the inaugural function
Eco-san toilet -
construction stage
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4. Awareness Program: Yatra
Multimedia, a cultural team from Kuilapalayam,
presented a film show on Eco-sanitation to help SHG members to understand the
concept and its benefits.
5. Exposure Visit: Palmyra organized an exposure
visit for SHG members, masons, and Palmyra
staff, to SCOPE at Trichy to learn about their
experiences with Ecosan. The local women showed
great delight in explaining the benefits of the compost and urine as
fertilizers nourishing fruit trees. It was very clear for all that the
ecological toilet system was most effective in providing responsible waste
management, combating the spread of disease, being a low-cost maintenance
model – unlike conventional water toilet systems, and in producing a valuable
fertilizer product. The decision was taken to build similar toilets in Anumandaikuppam.
6. Linkages with Line Departments: In recognition of this valuable new
approach to sanitation in the district and in the tsunami-affected area, the
DRDA has sanctioned Rs.3700/toilet under the UNICEF & TRC fund. AuroAnnam, Auroville
contributed Rs.3200/toilet and women SHG members contributed Rs.1000/toilet,
for a total of 34 stakeholders among 3 SHGs.
7. Inaugural Function: The Eco-sanitation toilet inaugural function
was held on May 15th 2006 at 4.00 p.m. in Anumandaikuppam.
Officials from DRDA-Villupuram, AuroAnnam-Auroville,
SCOPE-Trichy, Women SHG
members and Village Panchayath Council
members participated in it. Dr. Lucas, AuroAnnam
mentioned that the fisherman community women are pioneers in introducing the
technology in the district and that this method needs to be copied by the
urbanites of Chennai who face scarcity of water for their daily life.
Dry Compost Toilet
Fibre Eco-Pan
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