Construction of model ECOSAN toilets for the women SHG members of Vathalaikadu village.

Summary

Introduce the concept of ECOSAN toilets in the Vathalaikadu village, Tanjore district, Tamilnadu by constructing 20 model ECOSAN toilets. Interested women will be selected among the six women SHGs functioning in this village. This village will be model vi

Background

In rural Villages of Tamilnadu open defecation is a common aspect and the village chosen for is not an exceptional one. It is important to sensitize people on the importance of safe disposal of human excreta. Under the guidance of Ekoventure 6 women SHGs are functioning in this village with a total membership of 85 women, out of which 76 women do not have toilets. Now, most of the women have expressed their discomfort in the open defecation especially for their girl children.

Location

Vathalaikkadu, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu, South India, India

Attachments

Budget_-...
Toilet_c...
Chamber_...
Pan1.JPG
toilet1.JPG
ECOSAN_p...

2 participants | show more

Jenna Saldaña of El Porvenir

Hi, I have a number of questions about ECOSAN toilets based on the video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPummZRR2Cg). Are the ones you are building the same as this? 1. How is the bag of fecal material removed from the toilet? What will the family do with it? Is there a cultural taboo about handling human waste? 2. What h...

Hi,

I have a number of questions about ECOSAN toilets based on the video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPummZRR2Cg). Are the ones you are building the same as this?

1. How is the bag of fecal material removed from the toilet? What will the family do with it? Is there a cultural taboo about handling human waste?

2. What happens if other things fall in the toilet? Does it affect the toilet?

3. How long do these toilets typically last?

4. What keeps the material moving? Solar, wind, electricity?

5. The video also mentions that there can be low counts of harmful pathogens. Have you seen this with the other 62 ECOSAN toilets you've built? If so, how have you dealt with it?

Thank you,
Jenna Saldana, El Porvenir
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Jenna Saldana The ECOSAN toilets that we are promoting is different from the one that you are mentioning. The video at the site http://videosearch.rediff.com/video_play.php?id=101708956&query=ecosan&val=http%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2F%3Fv%3D4J5tj7nxnFM is the same with slight modifications in the pan model. Kindly see the lea...
  
  Dear Jenna Saldana
  
  The ECOSAN toilets that we are promoting is different from the one that you are mentioning. The video at the site
  
  http://videosearch.rediff.com/video_play.php?id=101708956&query=ecosan&val=http%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2F%3Fv%3D4J5tj7nxnFM
  
  is the same with slight modifications in the pan model.
  
  Kindly see the leaflet attached in the profile of Ekoventure for details of the ECOSAN toilets that we promote.
  
  Even if other things fall it doesn't affect the toilet.
  
  the movement of material (faeces) - is directed to the chamber and doesn't involve any energy.
  
  The chamber is kept closed for nearly six months and by that time mostly the harmful pathogens are killed. As the toilets that we have constructed are in use only for the past 6-8 months, we have not experienced. In another 4-6 months we will be removing the first chamber with decomposed faeces.
  
  But we have visited ECOSAN toilets in other parts of Tamilnadu (Trichy, Tuticorin) where they are using the decomposed faeces as manure and did not face any problems.
2 participants | show more

Jenna Saldaña of El Porvenir

Seeing the pictures is helpful to know what these will look like, but are these completed? Is there no seat to the toilet?

Seeing the pictures is helpful to know what these will look like, but are these completed? Is there no seat to the toilet?
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Jenna Saldana, The ECOSAN toilets are Indian and are not of western type. We have uploaded a pdf file (in the application) with pictures taken 2 days back from our earlier project where we have constructed 62 toliets. regards Pushpalatha
  
  Dear Jenna Saldana,
  
  The ECOSAN toilets are Indian and are not of western type.
  We have uploaded a pdf file (in the application) with pictures taken 2 days back from our earlier project where we have constructed 62 toliets.
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha
2 participants | show more
Community Led Total Sanitation

Rick McGowan of Team Blue

In addition to the well-planned promotion of well-designed ECOSAN toilets, has the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach been considered to be included in the proposed program? If not, it should be, as it has apparently been quite successful in India, when properly carried out and implemented by trained and experienced trainers...

In addition to the well-planned promotion of well-designed ECOSAN toilets, has the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach been considered to be included in the proposed program?

If not, it should be, as it has apparently been quite successful in India, when properly carried out and implemented by trained and experienced trainers.
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Yes, the Community led Total Sanitation approach will be included. We have experienced trainers on Sanitation aspects and one of our staff has training on “Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation in India” from 12th to 22nd May 2008 at MJP Research and Training Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra organized by Ecosan Services Foundation. reg...
  
  Yes, the Community led Total Sanitation approach will be included. We have experienced trainers on Sanitation aspects and one of our staff has training on “Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation in India” from 12th to 22nd May 2008 at MJP Research and Training Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra organized by Ecosan Services Foundation.
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha
2 participants | show more
Comment and query

Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well

Faster the communities and farmers accept the idea of the use of feces as manure better for all. Require rapid action in building public awareness, in both, rural and urban areas. With change in the design with raised platforms (like commodes) on either side of a bidet, for washing and urinating would be ideal. It would be costlier than t...

Faster the communities and farmers accept the idea of the use of feces as manure better for all. Require rapid action in building public awareness, in both, rural and urban areas. With change in the design with raised platforms (like commodes) on either side of a bidet, for washing and urinating would be ideal. It would be costlier than traditional toilets but we all need to correct our priorities for health and environment. Manufactures need to start producing and promoting them. Anything that is used by city people will be faster adopted by villagers.

Pictures of a few ecosan toilets that are in operation would be great to see how easy they can be maintained with minimum care. What would be the annual cost of maintenance?

If there was no fowl smell in excreta there would not have been any problem with handling feces, Removing the cover before every use would be repelling. Is anything being used in the toilet for the smell or ash takes care of it? If so, this information should be highlighted that there is minimum smell in such toilets. What kind of ash is used, wood or cowdung, or both?

Thank you. All the best.
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Hira-Smith, Thanks for your queries. It is sure that it requires rapid action in building public awareness about the ECOSAN toilets. It took us nearly 4 months in our earlier project (Green Post Tsunami Action) to convince and select 62 beneficiaries. We conducted a series of awareness meetings, projected video films, organised ...
  
  Dear Hira-Smith,
  
  Thanks for your queries.
  
  It is sure that it requires rapid action in building public awareness about the ECOSAN toilets. It took us nearly 4 months in our earlier project (Green Post Tsunami Action) to convince and select 62 beneficiaries. We conducted a series of awareness meetings, projected video films, organised exposure visits for 300 women and men to the existing ECOSAN toilets in use, to finalise 62 beneficiaries. In the present project area, we have conducted awareness meetings and projected video films to the women SHG members in their monthly meetings. Hence, we feel that it would be organising an exposure visit to ECOSAN toilets at Trichy would finally convince the women in taking up the construction of ECOSAN toilets.
  
  We will upload some of the ECOSAN toilets that are in use in the project application.
  
  Ash of either wood or cowdung is used. Properly maintained toilets doesn't need anything extra to be void of smell. Ash takes care of it.
  
  We tried with Effective Microorganism (E.M) in some households and the results are encouraging. We supplied Bokashi (meaning: Fermented food) - Sawdust fermented with Effective Microorganism to the households.
  
  E.M is a mixture of beneficial microorganisms used in the fields of Hugiene, Solid waste management, composting, treatment of wastewater, bioremediation of polluted water bodies and soils. For further info: please contact www.mapleorgtech.com
  
  regards
  Pushpalatha
  - Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
    
    Hello Pushpalatha, Cool! informative. Thanks. Wish it was that easy to implement and we, who work in the field, know how hard it is. Love your method of approach by showing video films. Why don't all the TV channels in the world run one minute adds on promoting such important issues I wonder as they run the adds for drinks and burgers, ...
    
    Hello Pushpalatha,
    Cool! informative. Thanks. Wish it was that easy to implement and we, who work in the field, know how hard it is. Love your method of approach by showing video films. Why don't all the TV channels in the world run one minute adds on promoting such important issues I wonder as they run the adds for drinks and burgers, that cause more health problems instead of preventing. Best Wishes. Meera
- Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
  
  Hello Pushpalatha, Cool! informative. Thanks. Wish it was that easy to implement and we, who work in the field, know how hard it is. Love your method of approach by showing video films. Why don't all the TV channels in the world run one minute adds on promoting such important issues I wonder as they run the adds for drinks and burgers, ...
  
  Hello Pushpalatha,
  Cool! informative. Thanks. Wish it was that easy to implement and we, who work in the field, know how hard it is. Love your method of approach by showing video films. Why don't all the TV channels in the world run one minute adds on promoting such important issues I wonder as they run the adds for drinks and burgers, that cause more health problems instead of preventing. Best Wishes. Meera

Name	Status	Completion Date	Final Cost
Construction of Model ECOSAN toilets in Chinnakalanivasal Village, Sethubavachatram Block, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu	completed	May 2010	2,642
Construction of Model ECOSAN toilets in Periyakalanivasal Village, Sethubavachatram Block, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu	completed	Jun 2010	2,972
Construction of Model ECOSAN toilets in Vathalaikadu Village, Sethubavachatram Block, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu	completed	Jun 2010	988

Plan Amount:	6,438
Amount Funded:	4,354
Funded by:
Blue Planet Network	4,354
Community Contribution:	1,125

plan 233Construction of model ECOSAN toilets for the women SHG members of Vathalaikadu village.

by Ekoventure in India

Status: Plan accepted

Peer Review

Summary

Background

Location

Attachments

Focus

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 0

School Children Getting Water:

People Getting Sanitation: 100

People Getting Other Benefits:

Start Date: 2009-09-01

Completion Date: 2010-02-28

Technology Used:

Phases:

Community Organization:

Government Interaction:

Ancillary activities:

Other Issues:

Maintenance Revenue:

Maintenance Cost:

Metrics:

Cost: $6,438

Co Funding Amount: $958

Community Contribution Amount: $1,125

Fund Requested: $4,354

Attachments