Fertiliser unit helps govt schools with bio-toilets

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 26

Based on 100 per cent maintenance-free DRDO technology, a few government schools have got bio-toilets that provide better sanitation facilities to the schoolchildren.

However, there are many government schools running without the toilet facility.

Despite the High Court instructions for immediate construction of separate toilets for girls in schools, there are hardly any steps taken in this regard.

Recently, around 6 bio-toilets, including at Government Primary School, Kotra Kaura, Government Senior Secondary School, Jethuke, Government Primary School, Nathpura, Government Senior Secondary School, Kuttiwal Kalan village, and SD Primary School, Maur Mandi, have been installed.

The National Fertilizer Limited (NFL) Bathinda has taken the initiative of constructing these toilets under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Bio-toilets address the need for an economical and easy-to-operate alternative to traditional waste-disposal.

They treat human waste at the source with no need for transportation, no contamination of the environment or groundwater, no energy requirement and no heavy infrastructure.

The bio-toilet system leaves pathogen-free water that can be used for gardening.

In large bio-tanks, methane can also be collected and used like a fuel for producing electricity and heat.

“The bio-toilets can be installed on any terrain – in urban, semi-urban or rural areas. They use bio-digester technology that was developed by India’s Defense Research Development Organisation.

These toilets are the contribution of the NFL, Bathinda unit, towards the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by the Prime Minister,” said DC Naik, deputy general manager (TS), NFL Bathinda.

The bio-toilet at Government Senior Secondary School, Kuttiwal Kalan, was installed and inaugurated in January.

Sunil Gupta, principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Kuttiwal Kalan, said, “We already had the facility of separate toilets for boys and girls but these bio-toilets are better. If properly maintained, the life of bio-toilets can be more than 15 years whereas the pits being used in our toilets in school have a life of around seven to eight years. These were installed by the NFL. In our school, there are around 308 children studying in Class VI to XII.”