Eram’s e-toilets can be a boon to fight Public Peeing in India
A new kind of portable toilet has been created by Eram Scientific Solutions Ltd based in Thiruvananthapuram. It is already in use in Kerala, and could serve as a model for such toilets all over the country. What are its features?
Built with stainless steel/fibre to withstand corrosion, it can be programmed to accept either Re 1, Rs 2 or Rs 5 denominations. After payment, the door of the unit unlocks and the light and exhaust fan are switched on automatically. After the user enters it, the closet is doused with 100 ml of water. In case it isn’t flushed after use, the system automatically does the cleaning. This is an intelligent toilet too. If the usage is for less than three minutes, the system flushes with 1.5 litres of water. If used for more, it flushes four litres. “There are plans to reduce this to less than three litres,” says Varghese. Normal toilets consume seven litres for a single flush. The water tank can store up to 500 litres of water and pump water from an additional source in emergencies.
It is intelligent and can turn human waste into biological charcoal, mineral, clean water and even electricity! They are expanding in the rest of the country as well. Understandably, a toilet of this type would cost more to build than a typical portable toilet, and this difference would, therefore, be reflected in the portaloo hire price.
“Commercial production started in 2010 and today, some 400 units have been installed under the aegis of local bodies and government departments. We also have pilot installations in Noida, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” says Manohar Varghese, director, Eram.
They have also received a grant of Rs 3 crore from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the ‘Reinvent the Toilet Challenge’.
One hopes to see such toilets everywhere in India. This really is the answer to solve the Peeing in Public Issue.!