Sanitation and Hygiene

Biotoilets are biological toilets, named so because they convert human waste into non toxic, non contaminating water compatible with environmental standards, through application of multi strain bacteria culture, using aerobic forms of bacteria.

The report draws on the report by Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) study from 2008 which made a comparative analysis of 23 urban local bodies (ULBs)—looking at seven cities in detail and another 16 based on secondary data to understand the factors affecting cost recovery.

Article and Image Courtesy:  Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society

Guest post: Veena Khanduri, India Water Partnership

The Gangetic river basin in Eastern India receives heavy monsoon rainfall, much higher than the rest of India. Nonetheless, the region suffers from both the problem of year round water availability as well as poor quality of drinking water. Due to excessive exploitation, the groundwater aquifers in the region have been depleting alarmingly, surface water is highly limited & poorly maintained and consequently cannot count up as a major source of safe drinking water.

Industrial effluents and sewage water are being diverted to the river Ganga by the cities and towns through which it passes. Nestled on the banks of Ganga, Kanpur, a highly urbanized and industrial city is polluting it most. Apart from the Government of India’s recently constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority, civil societies and NGOs too are putting rigorous efforts to make Ganga pollution free. Though the city has several big and small industries, the leather industries located in Jajmau, the oldest part of the city add to the problem of pollution in the river to a large extent.