When there has been a cut throat competition among Indian cities to become Smart Cities, there have been many aspects of urban planning which needs to be addressed and adhered to. As per the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP 2011), India contributes to 58 per cent of the world’s population defecating in the open. And according to last census in 2011, an overwhelming 1.7 lakh households (48.33 per cent) or 8.5 lakh people in the slums of Odisha defecate in the open.
Massive campaign of the Swachh Bharat Mission has, however, led the discussion on toilets for all. The State and the Central Government is also in mission mode to set the milestone for building toilets though all are silent on the output the toilets are going to produce.
Many researchers and health and hygiene expert don’t buy such promptness as disposal mechanism for excreta is yet to be emphasised.
“A good disposal system is a necessity. Otherwise, excreta to be released form thousands of toilets will still be in the air and create more health hazards,” according to the experts. The disposal facilities like septic tanks, dry latrines, bucket latrines, communal toilets accumulate faecal sludge, which needs to be removed periodically. If this sludge is not properly managed, negative impacts on the urban environment and on public health may result adversely.
According to experts, there might be environmental pollution caused by effluents of not regularly de-sludged septic tanks or community toilets. Faecal sludge being used in unhygienic way in agriculture is another concern.
All these problems can be avoided by a proper management of faecal sludge, which may include adequate de-sludging of sanitation facilities, safe handling and transport of sludge, treatment of sludge, and its safe disposal or reuse.
According to a study, if one truck of sludge is exposed unsafely then it is equivalent to 5000 people defecating in open.
“In this context, if we go by the mission of toilet for all, there will be a huge amount of scarcity of water and also the solid faecal sludge will be the next problem we will have to face. looking at the smart approach of our urban planners and urban development practitioners, now it is highly essential for all urban settlements to come up with solution to deal with solid faecal sludge,” view experts.
There has been experiments faecal sludge treatment in countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Philipines, Argentina, Ghana and brazil etc. Even in India there have been few experiments in Bangalore. But no urban local body has come up with a proper plan of action for the same.