Suitable Portable Toilets
————————————————————————————————————————————–
A public gathering, be it at the Kumbh mela or a much smaller conference, the need for proper toilet facilities has always remained an issue. A simple unsophisticated toilet can help, but to get even that installed and maintained is a difficult task. Coimbatore Municipal Commissioner Anshul Mishra has found a suitable solution in portable toilets. He shares with CIJ the Corporation’s long-standing plans for better sanitation in the city.
————————————————————————————————————————————–
Erecting new toilets every time for events, especially held in open places, is not a practical solution. Hence, the Coimbatore municipality hit upon the idea of having mobile toilets for the World Tamil Conference last June. “When the crowd is large, it becomes very difficult to manage toilets. The place gets messy and open defecation becomes an issue. Therefore, we decided to look at temporary solutions through mobile toilets, which are light weight and maintenance-friendly.”
The advantage with mobile/portable toilets is that they can be transported anywhere with the help of trailers. “The demand for such toilets has always been felt during public gatherings within the city and outside. We were aware of mobile toilets but the response from the users was not encouraging. So, we decided to zero down on portable toilets, which could be fixed to the local sewer line during use and also be easily transported thereafter.” The corporation has invested around र3.5 crores in procuring portable toilets which are in use at present in Coimbatore and in the neighbouring cities.
A Mumbai based company has supplied 60 portable toilets to the Coimbatore Corporation. These are pre-fabricated toilets made from galvanised iron (GI) sheets with epoxy coating on the interior walls, which makes maintenance easier. These toilets are available in five models in various sizes and types – Indian & Western. The high-end/VIP model also comes with waterless urinals and there are models made exclusively for women. The Coimbatore Corporation has bought eight VIP models, two of which have waterless urinals and women toilets besides the regular big and small models. The toilets have provisions for water supply, for outflow of sewage and an UGD (Under Ground Drainage) connection.
The Corporation has decided to rent out 20 of the 60 portable toilets to users for a fee. The charges for renting these toilets range between र500 and र1500 per day. The rental toilets are fixed on the trailer. One trailer has a capacity to carry two/three containers or units. These toilets have a water tank and a septic tank. Since the existing transportation facility was not suitable, the corporation passed a resolution to purchase 20 trailers and two lorries to transport the toilets.
Apart from transportation, handling the waste from these toilets is equally important. “Managing the waste from these toilets during the conference was a challenge but we had teams working 24 hours in three shifts. We constructed a disposal trench near the toilet; the sewage waste was diverted to this trench as per the standard specifications mentioned by the PWD. When the trench was filled, it was emptied onto the lorry through suction pipes. We deployed a team to empty the septic tank every two hours. We are currently maintaining the toilets with the help of our sanitation staff but we intend to outsource it to a housekeeping company for all the 40 toilets. We are already in the process of releasing a tender,” says Mishra.
The corporation has decided to install the remaining 40 toilets in various parts of the city like parks, commercial establishments, market area and playground. “We have already placed these toilets in seven to eight different locations of the city, which is connected to the UGD. The rest would be installed in a month’s time. Some of these toilets would also be allotted for women, as there are no free public toilets for women at many places. This issue was discussed widely at one of the meetings held by the Corporation’s health committee.”
The Coimbatore Corporation has also taken initiatives to improve the sanitation conditions of its existing 152 public toilets. Since October 2010, it has installed an odour-control system in the public toilets to curb the stench and improve hygiene standards.
“Unlike other public toilets, the toilets in Coimbatore are odourless now with the ozone machine having been installed by Coimbatore based company, Micropure Technologies. The ozone system is alternate to the chlorine/bleach powder, which is traditionally considered to be a germicide that oxidises the ammonia gas.
“The easy-to-install Micropure machine releases ozone gas which has a capacity to kill bacteria and other microorganisms in the air. Out of 152 public toilets, the ozone system has already been installed in 51 of them. With the help of this system, the emission of ammonia gas from the public toilets has also been controlled. The tender has been given to Micropure for a period of six months. We will be installing the ozone system even in our portable rental toilets but only after they are outsourced for maintenance to the housekeeping agency.”
In another initiative, the Coimbatore Corporation has also proposed in the 2011-2012 budget to construct at least two units for kids in the public toilets. “Since, there are no toilets for children, even their parents do not mind them defecatingin the open.
“There is also need for proper plumbing and sufficient water supply in the public toilets of Coimbatore. Overflowing septic tanks and choked toilets have remained a problem in the past. We realised that lighting is one major issue which needs to be addressed. Most of the time, they go missing or are found broken. It is impossible to keep an eye on miscreants. We have now decided to go for street/pole-lighting so that miscreants cannot reach them. If there is ample light and the toilets are regularly maintained, the public will automatically use the toilet facility instead of defecating in the open area. But, for all this there should be public awakening,” concludes Mishra.
Asthma prevention recommendations
It’s ironic that some products designed to make our buildings cleaner and healthier may contribute to asthma. According to KD Rosenman, MD, Department of Medicine, Michigan State University: “Cleaning products contain a diverse group of chemicals…Their potential to cause or aggravate asthma has recently been recognised.”
The Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) therefore recommends limiting or targeting the use of products containing ingredients such as bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds or “quats”, phthalates, and harmful (volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and considering appropriate alternative chemistries or non-chemical options. “It is not to say that products containing these ingredients are inherently bad; it’s important to recognize that these chemistries do serve a useful purpose,” said Allen Rathey, founder and president of The Health Facilities Institute (HFI).
Ingredients such as bleach, quats, phthalates, and many VOCs found in typical cleaning products have all been associated with causing asthma or other respiratory ills. Studies show residential cleaning services using bleach-containing formulas are at increased risk of asthma. Bronchitis, shortness of breath, coughing and other respiratory problems are linked to regular use of bleach-based and other ‘irritating’ cleaning products.
Phthalate, a common ingredient in product fragrances, ends up in dust that schoolchildren inhale, and is often present in higher concentrations in homes of kids with asthma. According to Science News Magazine: “…children exposed to … dust with the greatest concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were 2.9 times as likely to have asthma as were children exposed to the lowest concentrations of that phthalate.”
Use of quats – compounds in floor cleaners and disinfecting products – may also promote asthma. Volatile ingredients in foodservice or kitchen cleaning formulas, furniture polishes, and other cleaners can irritate mucous membranes and contribute to respiratory disease. Good ventilation is also vital when products containing potentially asthma-promoting ingredients are used.
