I refer to two reports published in the daily — “Only 26% of rural toilets use twin-leach pits, finds survey” (March 18) and “Septic tanks meet norms: Ministry” (March 19). Septage treatment poses a significant challenge in rural India, where toilets with septic tanks are the most popular type. Generally, faecal sludge is dumped in open spaces and water bodies, often surreptitiously, which is a grave health hazard. The Rural Development Organisation, an NGO that has been working in the Nilgiris since 1980, has put up three faecal sludge treatment plants. The compost from here is blended with kitchen waste compost. About two tonnes of co-compost is produced every day. The process of co-composting and testing done here, which meets FAO and BIS standards, is the first of its kind in India. This is tested at a laboratory in Chennai every month before being distributed to farmers at a subsidised price. Another project being done and successfully implemented in the Nilgiris is a grey water treatment plant. Here, household waste water is collected, recycled with appropriate rural technology, tested and reused in irrigation. It is of help during the dry seasons.
N.K. Perumal,
Aruvankadu, The Nilgiris