In India’s most flood-prone region of north Bihar, millions of people face a daunting challenge. Frequent floods, worsened by climate change and unpredictable rainfall, disrupt their lives. Amidst this, rural women endure a unique hardship—they lack access to safe toilets during floods.
A Flood-Resilient Innovation
But innovation has emerged from adversity. In response to this pressing issue, Megh Pyne Abhiyan (MPA), a non-profit organization, introduced a remarkable solution: the Phaydemand Shauchalay, an eco-friendly toilet designed specifically for flood-prone areas.
The Unique Design
A Phaydemand Shauchalay has two specially designed ecosan toilet pans placed above two concrete chambers, separated by a wall. These toilets are built on raised platforms, ensuring functionality even during extreme floods—a true litmus test.
Each toilet pan features a 10-inch diameter space in the center leading to chambers below, where human waste is collected. Two basins at the front and back gather urine and wash water separately. Users sprinkle some ash or sawdust on the waste after use and close the excreta hole to prevent insect infestations. Not a drop of wash water or urine should enter the excreta chambers.
Sustainability in Action
Here’s where sustainability shines. Families use one chamber for the first five to six months, then shift to the second one. Meanwhile, the waste in the first chamber naturally transforms into humanure, a valuable organic fertilizer. This not only reduces the family’s expenses on fertilizers and pesticides but also contributes to chemical-free farming. The collected urine is mixed with water and used for irrigating fields.
A Blessing in Disguise
I revisited these innovative toilets in villages of Pashchim Champaran, Bihar, between 2016 and 2018. Rural women, including adolescent girls, expressed their relief at having a safe and clean place to defecate, even during floods. The toilets remained functional despite a couple of flood events, proving their resilience.
With the pandemic altering our lives, my curiosity led me to revisit these toilets a month ago. To my delight, six out of eight Phaydemand Shauchalay were still functional in Naya Tola Bhishambharpur village, a flood-prone area. Families had integrated these toilets into their homes, even adding tiles for a touch of aesthetics.
These eco-toilets had become an integral part of daily life for rural women, offering a safe and clean space even during the recurring floods. Plans are underway to build more flood-resilient ecosan toilets in the village, highlighting the win-win solution they offer: ecological sanitation and chemical-free farming.
The Phaydemand Shauchalay stands as a testament to resilience, sustainability, and the positive change it brings to flood-prone regions in north Bihar.
