Bio-toilets could solve sanitation challenges and help save

What is sensible for trains in India also is logical for cities in India. In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has made plans to build 362 bio-toilets that are accessible to the public in slums where sewer networks are not in place. The government of India also funds the initiative. government’s campaign to create an “Clean India”, also called “Swachh Bharat” will boost the number of bio-toilets located in poorer communities that aren’t connected to sewer lines of municipal utility.

The transition to bio-toilets within Indian Railways and in low-income urban areas demonstrates that it is feasible to bring about changes that are systematic in the way we manage waste. In addition to these government and commercial initiatives, the introduction of bio-toilets within the homes of upper and middle class urban residents can also have significant changes. Indians with a good lifestyle are able to use as much as 500 litres per day while producing 30 millilitres plus of wastewater. If the residents of these cities would look for alternatives to flushing toilets in their homes and in their workplaces, they could reduce the amount of water used as well as demand for sewage treatment in Indian cities would decrease significantly.

Problems with implementation

The widespread acceptance of bio-toilets poses a significant obstacle to its the implementation. Bio-toilets require a change regarding how to properly manage their waste. Additionally, it is necessary to undergo a change of mental models to ensure that people don’t worry about contamination due to their proximity to waste that would have been swept “away” by pipes and sewers. A further challenge is encouraging people to think about the overall benefits of a better disposal system.

It is because switching to bio-toilets needs an understanding of the public and their acceptance that the decision to outfit the trains of Indian Railways with this technology is vitally important. In all, the Indian Railways transports 23 million people, which is about the entirety of Australia every single day.

When a variety of people come to know and appreciate the benefits of sanitation bio-toilets offer the chance of being able to amend them to use them in other locations grows. The Swachh Bharat campaign could help in this shift in attitude by supplying information and even subsidies or tax offsets to aid urban dwellers in making the transition to bio-toilets.

Looking ahead

One of our most precious commodities, water, is being utilized to dispose of waste. This causes the contamination of freshwater resources. But if people living in cities like New Delhi were to make changes towards the use of low-water devices, such as bio-toilets, it would be much easier to decrease water waste and also the amount of sewage flowing into one of the most revered and harmed rivers which are the Yamuna.

The Yamuna River near Civil Lines in New Delhi, India, 2016. Georgina Drew is the author. provided

Initiatives to improve Yamuna’s situation are vital since it is the New Delhi stretch of the river has been declared ” ecologically dead“. Despite the numerous initiatives taken by the central and state governments furthermore, the river’s pollutant levels haven’t improved over the past few years. This indicates that the Swachh Bharat campaign is unable to achieve the goals that were set when the campaign was first launched at the beginning of October 2014.

The issue of restoring the Yamuna’s health requires more than just efficient riverside cleaning efforts. The most important problem is the need to revamp a sewer management system that handles approximately half of the waste generated every day throughout New Delhi. The need for such overhaul is highlighted by the fact that estimates suggest that the population of the capital city will increase from 18 to 36 million in 2030. Alongside a doubling of the people, there will be a massive growth in the amount of waste generated. The sheer magnitude of the issue implies that it is the right time to encourage the adoption of low-water industrial, commercial, or household disposal techniques.