Sanitation

This article in Economic and Political Weekly,  by analysing various budget documents, attempts to capture the quantum of budgetary outlay for Water and Sanitation Services (WSS) in the slums of Bawana and Bhalaswa in Delhi. Further it captures various systemic weaknesses that impede the effective delivery of WSS in these two slum areas. 

The number people practicing open defecation in India is more than 600 million. Though the access to improved sanitation has increased since 2000 the pace of change has been slow. If the current trend continues then it will be difficult for the country to meet its Millenium Development Goal for sanitation. Thus accelerating access to and use of toilets and hygiene practices have become a national priority.

The Himalayas are inhabited by 40 million people, most of whom are dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry. The prevalent water scarcity also means a lack of water for sanitation. In this case, both open defecation and conventional sewerage pose a health risk. Conventional toilets not only consume a lot of water, but the effluent also pollutes groundwater.

Waterless urinals (WLU) save water, energy and use urine as resource ( Image courtesy: R Sakthivel)

This paper 'Wastewater irrigation in Hubli–Dharwad, India: I

This compendium of sewage treatment technologies by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has been prepared, based on primary and secondary data gathered from operation of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the country over the last two decades.

A fundamental change in the principles, approach and strategies of water management in India has been proposed in the Twelfth Plan

Why is this paradigm shift needed ?

Biotoilets are biological toilets, named so because they convert human waste into non toxic, non contaminating water compatible with environmental standards, through application of multi strain bacteria culture, using aerobic forms of bacteria.

The report draws on the report by Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) study from 2008 which made a comparative analysis of 23 urban local bodies (ULBs)—looking at seven cities in detail and another 16 based on secondary data to understand the factors affecting cost recovery.