Ecosan Toilet solution in water scarce areas - Fusion - WeRIndia

Most Indians especially in rural areas have the habit of open defecation. Due to constant efforts of the government, several people put an end to this age-old practice and switched to using toilets.

However, majority of people still are using open defecation. The main problem is cost involved in building toilets. Another major problem is lack of adequate water. Since water is a scare resource in most of the rural areas and it is needed for almost all vital activities, the rural people see using a toilet as something that uses more water.

There are many alternatives to traditional toilets in recent days which are less expensive and consume low water. Ecosan toilet is one such toilet which is very ideal to use in a country where people are unable to spend huge amount on toilets.

Ecosan toilet is a closed system. It does not need lot of water and thus it is a good solution in water scarce areas. The nutrients from excreta can be made to compost and thus they provide manure for agriculture.

The toilet is built easily without digging in too deep using normal bricks or hollow blocks. It has two pits. The toilet is closed and sealed after the pit is completely filled in some months. It takes around nine months for the faeces to be composted. It can be used on farms and fields as organic manure. Users can then use the second pit in the meanwhile. The two pits serve the users for around a year if they are used alternatively. The excreta can be isolated in a separate chamber and composted to an organic manure. Users should read up on proper information when using these toilets since these toilets are different from conventional toilets.

Ecosan toilets are very beneficial in desert areas, rocky and hilly regions, coastal and flooded zones and earthquake prone places.

Image Reference: Wikimedia