Water, sanitation, and hygiene are closely linked. Without access to adequate water, maintaining sanitation and hygiene is impossible. The United Nations General Assembly recognises access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene as basic human rights. However, poor water supply is a major roadblock in sanitation efforts. Consequently, poor sanitation affects the water quality.
With a rising population, the pressure on our water sources is increasing. The problem of availability of adequate and clean water sources is being addressed by harnessing science and technology. The introduction of advanced engineering structures and stronger pumping technologies has ensured that water from streams and rivers reaches those that need it the most. Stronger pumping technologies have been introduced to provide access to clean water. However, the sustainability of access to clean water and safe sanitation is also linked to waste management and the treatment of grey water.
In a country like India, with the world’s second largest population, a massive amount of waste is generated per day. The government has taken steps to ensure proper disposal and has built toilets in remote areas. However, it cannot do everything on its own.
Tech innovations and pathbreaking ideas in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) can ably support the government’s efforts and help India achieve long-term sanitation goals. Many entrepreneurs have already set an example to inculcate the habit of using public toilets. Mobile charging points, sufficient ventilation, adequate lighting, and free wi-fi hotspots are just a few of the facilities that have been incorporated in smart toilets, which could define the future of safe sanitation in public places in India.
Some startups have pitched in with cost-effective solutions to turn waste into wealth. For instance, Genrobotics Innovations in Thiruvananthapuram has developed a robotic scavenger, named Bandicoot, to eliminate manual scavenging. Hyderabad-based Bintix is helping in the collection, sorting, and recycling of dry waste. The Kabadiwala from Bhopal is bringing together the fragmented waste industry as one entity to create a strong supply chain. This is turning the linear economy into a circular one, while improving sanitation and hygiene for all.
Some of these start-ups were felicitated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in September 2022 during a day-long conclave organised to provide funding and incubation support for startups working in the sanitation and waste management industries.
Many new business ventures deploying innovative technology have been roped in to develop smart toilets and improve the design, accessibility, and efficiency of the existing facilities. Consider the Indian Railways, which for many years had an open toilet system that allowed human faeces and urine to directly discharge on the tracks, resulting in corrosion and creating a public health nightmare. These conventional toilets are steadily being replaced by nature-friendly bio-toilets.
State governments have also begun to link solid waste to agriculture with efforts to extract minerals like phosphorus and nitrogen from human excreta – which can be used in fertilizers by farmers. In Tamil Nadu, the non-profit Rural Development Organisation Trust has implemented a project that turns faecal sludge into co-compost.
Mission Swachhta Aur Paani, a News 18 and Harpic India initiative, advocates the availability and usage of clean water and safe sanitation for all. Let’s all come together and join hands for Mission Swachhta Aur Paani- Mil Kar Lein Ye Zimmedari to ensure sustainable and inclusive sanitation.
A grand Telethon will bring together government representatives, celebrities, artists, change makers, policy experts and youth icons to celebrate the cause on the occasion of World Toilet Day on November 19. Watch the telethon LIVE on November 19, 12 pm onwards at: https://www.news18.com/MissionSwachhtaPaani/
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