People of Regullanka village set a precedence in personal hygiene, general cleanliness with ECOSAN toilet
- November 29th, 2012
Regullanka, a sleepy
village nestled in the flood-prone island mandal of Avanigadda in
Krishna district, has earned a rare distinction. For the first time in
Asia, residents of the entire village have embraced an innovative,
eco-friendly, waterless toilet – the ECOSAN toilet.
The village situated
on the banks of River Krishna achieved a new level of personal hygiene
and general cleanliness with an ECOSAN toilet.
Vijayawada-based NGO
Arthik Samata Mandal (ASM) implemented this project to save the local
women folk of the hardship of trekking a long distance to reach village
outskirts to answer nature’s call. The project is sponsored by
Switzerland-based Terre des Hommes (TDH).
“It took a long time
to persuade the villagers and secure their nod for construction of the
toilets with a promise that they will make use of them,” said ASM
secretary Nau Gora.
“Hundred and odd
families of Regullanka and its surrounding areas have a shallow water
table and villagers often face water scarcity. The ECOSAN toilets are a
safe bet for this region,” says Ms. Gora. It’s like killing two birds in
one shot.
The excreta which is
stored in a concrete chamber for six months and allowed to convert into
compost, was being diverted to the fields as fertilizers, said Willy
Bergogne, India Country Representative, of TDH.
He said that Regullanka had stood in the first in Asia to have implemented this project in the entire village.
Surrounded by a team
of local officials, villagers and representatives of many other
organisations, Mr. Bergogne and others opened the first ECOSAN toilet
vault.
The near 100 kg of
compost procured by breaking open the chamber was thin odourless powder.
“Use this as manure in the farm and the difference will reflect in the
output,” said Mr. Bergogne.
J. Satyapal Reddy,
Superintending Engineer, RWS, Krishna district, complimented the ASM and
the TDH for their achievement. Similar efforts by the government had
failed to convince villagers in the past, he said.
- Vijayawada-based NGO Arthik Samata Mandal has implemented the project
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It took a long time to persuade villagers and secure their nod for ECOSAN toilet, says ASM secretary
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Body waste that is stored in a concrete chamber for six months and allowed to convert into compost is diverted to fields as fertilizer
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Please comment and suggest how people who prefer open fields for defecation be persuaded to build and utilize latrines.