plan 233Construction 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...

Focus

Primary Focus: Sanitation - Households
Secondary Focus: Capacity Building

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 0

School Children Getting Water:

People Getting Sanitation: 100

20 families

People Getting Other Benefits:

The masons (5nos.) in this area will be trained in the construction of ECOSAN toilets.
All the 85 members of the 6 women SHGs will be trained on the importance of ECOSAN toilets.
Awareness will be created among the entire community in the village on ECOSAN toilets.

Start Date: 2009-09-01

Completion Date: 2010-02-28

Technology Used:

Ekoventure had linked all these women SHGs with the Bank under the microfinance programme. Most of the women have expressed their willingness to contribute a part of their loan amount for the construction of a toilet of their own.

Ekoventure had constructed 62 ECOSAN toilets in a EU funded partnership project and has experienced staff in training the masons in the construction of ECOSAN toilets. Also, the women will be convinced on the advantages of ECOSAN toilets over conventional flush toilets.

Phases:

Yes in one phase.
The amount shall be released in two parts – 50% as advance and the remaining 50% immediately after completion of construction of toilets.

Community Organization:

The project is to be implemented involving the women SHG members who were associated with this NGO since 2003 and with their support this project will be implemented in a participatory way by involving them in all aspects of this project – planning, execution and monitoring.
The women have voluntarily opted to contribute INR 2700 per toilet towards their contribution.

Government Interaction:

The Government is providing Rs. 2300 per toilet construction through DRDA/BDO.

When the officials were contacted to ascertain the provision, they have informed that the subsidy amount will be released only for flush toilets and not for ECOSAN toilets and this issue has to be sorted out.

Ancillary activities:

At least 5 masons will be trained in the construction aspects of ECOSAN toilets.

Other Issues:

Maintenance Revenue:

The women SHG members will be motivated to avail Bank loans for the construction of ECOSAN toilets as a special case.
Continuous awareness meetings will be organised on the importance of ECOSAN toilets. Trainings will be organised at this village for the other women SHG members.

Maintenance Cost:

Metrics:

Prior art before metrics

Cost: $6,438

See Attachment

Co Funding Amount: $958

Government Scheme – DRDA/BDO.

Community Contribution Amount: $1,125

The women will contribute INR 2700 per toilet

Fund Requested: $4,354

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

  • Rating: 9

    review by Project Well

    Need promoting. It is advisable to depict each ecosan toilet on the map and make it available on PWX website so that anybody can visit the sites. I encourage mapping projects mainly to get correct information from the field workers who know that anybody can approach the sites and their information can be cross checked. This would also reduce developing city-office based reports and proposal writing.

  • Rating: 7

    review by Blue Planet Network

    Wish we could get more details about the past implementation and how is being used.

    Seems like a worthy project, any earlier experience details would help increase support.

  • Rating: 6

    review by El Porvenir

    I think the community approach is great, especially involving women. I wonder about the chamber filling so rapidly and the users removing the compost every 3-4 months. My other concern is that it's a new project--they've only done one other project recently. It seems they are quite motivated to promote the EcoSan toilets and educate the community.

  • Not Reviewed

    by Team Blue

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