Mumbai: BMC takes IIT help to set up city's fist bio-toilet

In a bid to improve sanitation and save water, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has tied up with IIT Bombay for setting up bio-toilets in the city. As part of a pilot project, BMC will install the city's first bio-toilet in Powai's Mahatma Phule Nagar slum.

The toilet, which is designed by IIT Bombay uses over 50% less water than conventional toilets. While a regular toilet requires around 15 litres of water per user, a bio toilet needs less than five litres. The project was given a go-ahead by municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta earlier this week.

"We are installing the bio-toilet under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme. There is shortage of toilets in slum pockets. This toilet requires less water and is much more hygienic than conventional toilets. After this pilot project, we will install more bio-toilets in other areas of the ward," said Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner, S ward.

According to officials, the bio-toilet doesn't even require any sewage connection and it doesn't stink either.

"It is a self-sufficient unit. It has been designed in-house by us. It is ideal for slum areas since there are no water connections or sewage lines. The bio-digestion process separates the water from the sludge and it then decomposes. Once installed, it needs no maintenance for 10 years," said Kishor Munshi from IIT Bombay.

Each toilet block costs less than Rs1 lakh to be installed and each block consists of six toilet seats.

Following complaints of fewer public toilets, the BMC had last year decided to conduct an extensive survey to map all public toilets in the city. Activists said that in a city where an average person travels a considerable distance to and from his workplace, there was a glaring gap of in the number of people and the toilets.

According to BMC estimates, for the 1.3 crore residents of Mumbai, there are only 836 public toilet blocks (excluding public toilets in slums) having a total of 10,381 toilet seats, 2,849 urinals and 842 bathrooms. This means that a single toilet seat caters to 1,250 Mumbaikars even as authorities admit the city needs a minimum of 35,000 public toilet seats. NGOs' estimates peg the figure at 50,000 seats.

"It is a low cost but high on hygiene model. The slum pocket has a high-population density more toilets will only help. We have roped in the local rotary club to install the toilet under the CSR scheme," Gaikwad added.

While a survey undertaken by the BMC in 2005 had found 1,175 public toilet blocks, more than 300 blocks have been razed due to the various infrastructure projects such as Metro, Monorail, flyovers, skywalks and road widening projects in the last couple of years, officials said.