Stinking, unhygienic public toilets and urinals in the Capital could soon give way to ultra-modern, self-cleaning toilet blocks. With cleanliness of public toilets remaining an area of concern, the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has proposed installing self-cleaning toilets across the city.
These public conveniences will initially come up in New Delhi areas and later in other parts of the city. To begin with, 200 public toilet urinals (PTUs) will be installed; the first one will be set up opposite Ram Manohar lohia Hospital (gate number 6). The DUAC, in its survey, has found that the city needs around 5 lakh toilets.
Apart from using solar power, these high-tech loos will have an automatic temperature regulation system as their walls will be made of ‘honeycomb’ structures that control air circulation. The commission has also planned to make use of the sludge produced. “A bio-digestive unit will be placed underground.
Unlike traditional toilets, where the waste is just drained out, this new system will treat the waste inside a tank with the help of bacteria. These bacteria multiply in sludge and convert the sludge into harmless gas and water. The water after chlorination can be used for horticulture purposes,” said Rajeev Gaur, Assistant Secretary, DUAC. The conversion process takes nearly a day and chlorination is essential to add oxygen in the water.
“Each unit will have a solar panel on top and underneath the panel there will be two water tanks, which would be hidden inside the whole structure,” added Gaur. The PTUs will have rain water harvesting facility and also an access control door. “Access control door means a mechanical way of getting entry to the toilet. The user will have to insert a coin for payment and the door will open,” he added. These PTUs will, however, be manned units. Each toilet block is expected to cost around Rs one lakh.
“The findings of the commission also reveal that over 25 lakh women in Delhi go for their necessary functions in the open fields which is not only unhygienic but also pose a risk to them,” said Gaur. The DUAC called for a design competition for this purpose and finalised four pre-fabricated designs. One design is that of bamboo public toilets while another is aimed for slum dwellers which would have multiple attached units. “The clubbed units will have separate units for male and female. A third one will be for universal use and another for services like child care,” said an official.
The designs of the PTUs have been sent to the three municipal bodies and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). For the first six months these will be under a testing period during which only 50 users will be allowed in a day. “The first six months are very essential as we have to gauge every aspect and consider modifications, if any,” informed the official.