Billions without Improved Sanitation

The JMP report of 2010 indicates that improved

sanitation facilities are used by less than two thirds of the world population. Virtually, the entire population of the developed regions uses improved facilities, but in the developing regions only around half the population uses improved sanitation. Though there are notable increases in the use of improved sanitation in certain regions, by far the greatest number of people without improved sanitation facilities are in Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

FACT: Access to Sanitation Provision

Population without improved sanitation, (region wise) in 2008 (millions) UNICEF-WHO JMP 2010 Update

Globally over 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation worldwide of which 650 million people reside in India.

Access to Sanitation East Asia and the Pacific

Almost 1.3 billion people in East Asia and the Pacific had

access to improved sanitation in 2006. Coverage increased from 49 per cent in 1990 to 66 per cent in 2006. The regions population without access to sanitation decreased by 174 million, from 847 million in 1990 to 673 million in 2006. increase in coverage outpace population growth. The rate at which the region gained access to sanitation is sufficient to meet the MDG sanitation target of 75 per cent by 2015. In 7 countries of East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fed. States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, PNG, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste), sanitation coverage is less than 50 per cent.

Basic Uncovered Population East Asia and the Pacific

Population (millions) Population using unimproved sanitation (millions) Urban 93 80 50 Rural 504 409 342 Total 598 488 393 Population practising open defecation (million) Urban Rural 28 39 51 146 117 93 Total 174 156 144 -

Urban 1990 2000 2006 2015 500 715 856 1,070

Rural Total 1,161 1,155 1,113 1,033 1,661 1,870 1,969 2,103

Source: Status and Trends Drinking Water and Sanitation in East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF

Urban and Rural Sanitation East Asia & Pacific

Urban sanitation coverage is 75 per cent However, since 1990, the urban population without improved sanitation increased by 37 million to 212 million. 111 million people in urban areas share a sanitation facility of an otherwise acceptable type. 51 million people in urban areas practices open defecation, 23 million more than in 1990. Rural sanitation coverage increased from 42 to 59 per cent Since 1990, the rural population with improved sanitation increased by 162 million people. 342 million people in rural areas use sanitation facilities which do not meet minimum standards of hygiene. 93 million people in rural areas do not use any sanitation facility and practices open defecation. That is 53 million less than in 1990. 2 out of 3 people in East Asia and the Pacific without sanitation facilities lives in rural areas.
5

Population practising open defecation in countries with highest prevalence in 2006 (millions)
Indonesia,66 China, 37 Viet Nam, 10 Cambodia, 10 Philippines, 7.0 Myanmar, 2.8 Lao PDR, 2.6 Papua New Guinea, 1.1 Timor Leste, 0.5

Source: Status and Trends Drinking Water and Sanitation in East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF

Impact of Environment on health

An estimated 24% of the global disease burden and

23% of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. Of these diarrhoeal contribute around 5% of global disease burden. 94% of the diarrhoeal disease burden is associated with unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene practices. In India, 7.8% of all deaths are due to water, sanitation and hygiene related. In India, 9.4% of DALYs lost due to WSH related diseases.

SANITATION AND HEALTH SCENARIO

Child Mortality Rate was very high. Drop-out of girls from schools was high. More than fifty diseases including

diarrhoea, cholera, poliomyelitis, etc. have been reported because of defecation in open due to lack of toilets. Public places like railway stations, bus stops, religious and tourist places, had no provision of public toilets. British Medical Journal conducted survey amongst experts and medical professionals to identify the best medical breakthroughs and scientific advances of the past 150 years - Sanitation Voted the Greatest Advance since 1840.

SANITATION SCENARIO IN INDIA1960S

In 60s, the sanitation situation was dismal, both in urban and rural India. A few towns had partial sewerage system and a small population were connected to septic tanks.
Defecation in the open and manual cleaning of human excreta by the class of people called scavengers were prevalent. Rural areas hardly had any toilet. Provision of sanitation in India is decentralized and primarily rests with local government bodies. The State and Central governments have facilitating role: framing policies/guidelines, financing, capacitybuilding and monitoring. NGOs did not play any major role.

SANITATION SCENARIO
Asia, Africa & Latin America lagged in adopting the technologies of septic tank & sewerage system as these were not economically affordable. Just for example, the sewers were laid in Kolkata, India in 1870 and after 140 years only 269 towns/cities out of 5161 towns are sewer based and that too partially. At this rate, without further growth of towns and cities, it will take 3000 years to provide sewerage system in urban India. Women, the worst sufferers, had to go out for open defecation in the dark before sunrise or after sunset. Their dignity was at risk, subjected to criminal assaults and occasionally suffer from snake bites.

SANITATION PRESENT SITUATION - INDIA

According to WHO-UNICEF Joint monitoring programme

(2008 Status), 54% of urban household use latrine and another 21% use shared latrine. For rural areas the figures are 21% and 4% respectively. However, as per Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, GOI, the districts were reporting rural Sanitation coverage of 68% in 2010. It has been observed in India (Total Sanitation Campaign) and in Countries like Combodia (CITS), that sanitation prog. that neglect sustainable technology and adopt cheap, unscientific and environmentally unsustainable sanitation facilities, achieve Hygiene Behaviour Change in short term but face revarsal of behavior in the long term. (Reverting back to open defecation).

Need for New Technological Order

In later part of 60s, Dr. Pathak felt the need for a new technological order to overcome the problem of human scavenging, stop defecation in open and safe and hygienic disposal of human wastes.
WHO publication on Excreta Disposal for Rural Areas and Small Communities by two sanitation engineers, Edmund A. Wagner and J.N. Lanoix, left a lasting lifetimes impression in Dr. Pathaks mind. The book mentioned: Suffice it to say here that out of the heterogeneous mass of latrine designs produced all over the world, the sanitary pit privy emerges as the most practical and universally applicable type.

Turning to the role of an Engineer

The suggestions in WHO publication were for the application of this technology only in rural areas. However, Dr. Pathak thought that for the soil conditions of rural and urban areas, the same technology can be used. He concluded that this technology, after some improvement, could be a viable alternative to scavenging. Keeping this in view, he innovated, modified and developed alternatives to suit the urban conditions; at the same time, making many new designs for different site conditions.

WHO criteria for sanitary latrine

Seven conditions to meet the criteria for a Sanitary Latrine:

The surface soil should not be contaminated. There should be no contamination of the ground water that may enter by way of springs or wells. There should be no contamination of the surface water. Excreta should not be accessible to flies or animals. There should be no handling of fresh excreta. Or, when this was indispensable, it should be restricted to the barest minimum. There should be freedom from odours or unsightly conditions. The method used should be simple and inexpensive in construction and operation.

Technological Innovation
The perusal of WHOs books helped Dr. Pathak to develop a technology which has proved to be revolutionary. This was the first small step in the long journey of many thousand miles towards eradicating untouchability and social discrimination.

Dr. Pathak founded the Sulabh International Social Service Organization in 1970 with a purpose to: restore the human rights and dignity of the untouchable scavengers; help stop defecation in the open; and provide safe and hygienic toilets to all.

Technologies Developed
1. 2. 3. 4.

Dr. Pathak invented, innovated and developed the following technologies: Sulabh two-pit, pour-flush, compost toilet for individual household use. Sulabh Public toilet on Pay and Use for public places in non-sewered areas. Biogas Digester linked to Sulabh Public Toilet for biogas generation. Sulabh Effluent Treatment Plant for treatment of water discharged from biogas plant.

Sulabh technologies are scientifically appropriate, economically affordable, indigenous and culturally acceptable and take care of untouchability. Scavengers have been liberated through Sulabh Nai Disha programme from the sub-human occupation of cleaning and carrying human excreta as headload for its disposal.

Pan and P -trap of Sulabh toilet

Ceramic Pan with 25 to 28 slope it needs only 1-1.5 litre of water per flushing due to steep slope and P - trap

PVC P trap is between 12-20 mm water seal which does not allow the gases or the smell from the pit to enter the toilet Where there is no factory or availability of PVC trap, anyone can pre-cast it so that it is not a constraint.
17

Taking out of manure from pit of a Sulabh toilet

The manure is taken out from the pit by the beneficiaries without involving scavengers as it is odourless, pathogen-free, semi-solid containing 1.8% nitrogen, 1.6% phosphate and 1% potassium.
18

Manure from Human Excreta

19

The manure is a rich fertiliser and soil conditioner which improves the productivity of the field and fruits and flowers, when used for agriculture/ horticulture.

High yield of fruits

High yield of crops

Manure from Sulabh two-pit Toilet

Manure obtained in Sulabh two-pit toilet from one person is 40kgs. per year

So, manure obtained from 6 billion people is 6 billion x 40kgs. =240 billion kgs. or 240 million tones in a year
If, cost of 1kg. manure is Rs 5.00 or US 10 cent Then cost of 240 million tones of manure produced will be Rs. 12, 00,000 million or US$24,000 million

The Sulabh toilet can be constructed in the minimum possible space

The Sulabh toilet can be constructed in the minimum possible space courtyard of a house or in the bedroom.
22

The Sulabh toilet can be constructed in the minimum possible space

Sulabh pour-flush toilet for linear space with common dividing wall in a narrow lane 23

The Sulabh toilet can be constructed in the minimum possible space

Sulabh pour-flush toilet for least space with the toilet on top of the pits
24

The Sulabh toilet can be constructed in areas where the water-table is high, in waterlogged, flood prone and high sub-soil water areas where the pits could be raised.
25

Sulabh toilets can be constructed in the upper floors of buildings.

26

Different uses of Sulabh two-pit, pour-flush toilets platforms

The platforms on the Sulabh pits can be used for chopping fish.
27

The platforms on the Sulabh pits can be used for chaffing grains
28

Different Designs of Sulabh two-pit, pour - flush, compost Toilet

The Sulabh toilet has been designed in such a way that

the poorest of the poor, middle class and even the rich people can have the facilities of Sulabh toilets because the cost of construction is affordable and can vary from US$ 15 to US$ 1100.
The technology remains the same, only the building

materials differ and the period of cleaning of the pits. The minimum period of cleaning a pit is 2 years and maximum 40 years. Because the pits in the Sulabh toilets are earth based, having holes in the walls, gases are absorbed in the soil. This helps reduce global warming and improves the climate change.

Different designs of Sulabh two-pit, pour - flush, compost toilet

Model No. 1

Model No. 2

Cost US $30 (Rs. 1500)

Cost US $35 (Rs. 1750)

Model No. 3

Model No. 4

Cost US $32 (Rs. 1600)

Cost US $50 (Rs. 2500)

The cheapest toilet with jute on all sides on bamboo frame

Superstructure made of thatched palm matting affordable for poor people.

Model No. 5

Model No. 6

Cost US $53 (Rs. 2650)

Cost US $145 (Rs. 7250)

Thatched wall with roof on bamboo frame

Brick wall with no door.

32

Model No. 7

Model No. 8

Cost US $152 (Rs. 7600)

Brick wall with jute curtain.

Circular design without door and roof for people who want to enjoy sky and air 33 with privacy.

Cost US $160 (Rs. 8000)

Model No. 9

Model No. 10

Cost US $185 (Rs. 9250)

Cost US $190 (Rs. 9500)

Toilet walls made of bricks with roof and wooden door- more expensive.

Brick toilet for those people who 34 can afford to spend more money

Model No. 11

Cost US $1100 (Rs. 55000)

Even the rich can get constructed Sulabh two-pit, pour flush toilets where there is no sewerage. The pits can be cleaned after 40 years.

Panoramic View of Different Designs of Sulabh Two-Pit, Pour-Flush, Compost Toilets

In the Sulabh two-pit technology there is flexibility of design which the beneficiary can choose depending upon his affordability and size of family. 36