Now Guwahati is to get public bio-toilet facilities

By our Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 18: A smart bio-toilet project or bio-digester has been launched under Guwahati Smart City Ltd (GSCL) under the smart city mission, involving the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The aim of the project is to eradicate open defecation in the city.

Bio-digester or bio-toilet is a decomposition-mechanized toilet system which decomposes human excretory waste in the digester tank using specific high graded bacteria, further converting it into methane and water.

The DRDO is going to implement the project into three phases. While phase 1 is to be completed by June this year, sources in the GMC opted not to elaborate as to when the other phases of the project will be completed. They say that the project is environment-friendly, and set to put an end to open defecation in Guwahati.

According sources, the phase 1 of the project is to cover over 30 major locations in the city, including bus stations, railway stations and various other public places.  As and when the first phase is completed, according to sources, the second phase is to start soon after. Each of such toilets is set to cater to the needs of 200 people a day.    

If not bio-toilet or bio-digester, a section of Guwahatians are familiar with public toilets. Such toilets are seen at some places in the city. However, they are too unhygienic because of their improper upkeep. The few public toilets in the city are useating, repelling users, especially women, from them. Guwahati is a city where women, in most of the cases, cannot answer the ture’s call while staying outdoor. It is too early to say if bio-toilets can put an end to open defecation and prove to be succour for the public, especially women, in the city. Hope not the new project follows the suit of its predecessor – public toilets – already erected at a few places in the city.