Loo-building effort hits some hurdles

The numbers are impressive. In its quest towards Swachh Bharat, the government has built 4.98 crore rural household latrines in the last three years. What's more, recent surveys by the NSSO and the Quality Council of India show that over 90% people with access to toilets are using them.

While this is a positive indicator, there are many other areas that need attention such as the shortage of water, sensitisation of citizens, proper maintenance and usage of toilets, and overcoming the resistance to dry manure made from human waste.

Given that most rural areas in India lack proper drainage and a sewage network, the government has focused on building twin-pit toilets. But there is no data on whether the size of hastily built twin pits takes into account the number of users, and whether each pit is enough to collect waste for three years.

In the twin-pit system, two pits are used alternately . When one pit gets full, the incoming excreta is diverted to the other pit. In about two years, the sludge gets digested and becomes dry and pathogen free. This can be used for manure safely and since the digested sludge is odourless it can be dug out easily and used for farming.But despite the fact that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has pushed for the technology , there is still a reluctance to use `khad' made from human excreta.

Officials admit that the other big challenge for Swachh Bharat in rural areas is managing liquid waste, which pollutes natural water bodies. Though the scheme covers this aspect as well, the immediate focus is to deal with open defecation.

And with 30% of homes in rural areas still needing toilets, the government is continuing with its loo-building spree.“More toilets that are constructed, the more people will use them,“ said a confident sanitation ministry official.