The Sanitation Technology PlatformPlease Note: This report is a good faith effort by RTI International to accurately represent information available via secondary and primary sources at the time of the information capture. The report is confidential and proprietary and only for internal uses and not for publication or public disclosure.

PUBLIC & COMMUNITY TOILET LANDSCAPEQuantitative data, user insights, case studiesurban India

JANUARY 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights

Third-party Contractor Profiles

TASK OBJECTIVES

3

To better understand the market opportunity for sanitation solutions in the public and community toilet market in India, STeP conducted secondary research to map and digest publically available data, characterize the challenges and barriers, understand current schemes and initiatives, and chart progress.

A subset of third-party providers of public and community toilet solutions have also been identified and profiled.

The secondary research has been combined with insights from primary research conducted with users and stakeholders of public and community toilets in Coimbatore to identify potential gaps and opportunities.

This body of work will be used to inform follow-on research about the opportunity, government purchase/contracting decisions drivers, and a broader mapping of third-party consultants and providers. The data gathered and suggested follow-on work are summarized within.

For partners, STeP aggregated and synthesized secondary data to size the public and community market opportunity.

4

Approach• Aggregate secondary information sources

• Analyze publicly available data

• Interview public toilet users to capture primary insights

• Blend primary and secondary research information

• Form a market hypothesis and validate through additional primary research

• Synthesize findings

Data gathered• Swachh Bharat Mission objectives

• Number of public and community toilets commissioned

• Gap between number of toilets commissioned and those constructed to date

• Successes in large-scale toilet construction

• Market challenges

METHODOLOGY

STeP turned to a variety of data sources including public data and selected primary user insights.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights

Third-party Contractor Profiles

6

Public access toilets can be divided into two categories, “public toilets” and “community toilets.”

CONTEXT

Located in communities and near homes, this is the daily toilet access for many who lack in-

home latrines.

Public toilets are located in high-traffic areas such as bus stops and markets. They are often used by those in transit or those who are working nearby.

Community Toilets Public Toilets

7

18.6% of India’s population does not have in-home toilet facilities and needs access to dignified public solutions.

CONTEXT

Per the 2011 India census about household sanitation practices in urban areas:

• 81.4% have toilet facilities within the home. - 70.9% of households have water closets.

32.7% are connected to a sewer system.

38.2% have a septic tank.- 8.8% of households have pit latrines.- 1.7% of households have other toilets

(connected to open drains, human removal).

• 18.6% of households do not have toilet facilities within their premises.- 6.0% use public toilets. - 12.6% practice open defecation.

In some urban slums, the percentage of households without toilet facilities within the premises is as high as 34%.

Source: Census of India 2011 Availability and Type of Latrine Facility: 2001–2011

8

With significant growth rates, the need for adequate urban sanitation infrastructure is being compounded in India.

CONTEXT

Around the world, there has been a continuous migration of people from rural and semiurban areas to cities and towns. This is especially true in India, where:

• Population residing in urban areas has increased from 27.8% in 2001 to 31.2 % in 2011.1

• Number of towns has increased from 5,161 in 2001 to 7,935 in 2011.1

• Wastewater generated in Tier I and II cities is expected to increase ~272% between 2007 and 2050.2

Sources: 1 Bhagat, R B. (2011). Emerging pattern of urbanisation in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 46(34), 10–12.2 Banerjee, A. Legal and policy framework for wastewater treatment and reuse in India: A background review. Retrieved from http://www.igep.in/live/hrdpmp/hrdpmaster/igep/content/e48745/e57806/e61054/e61056/LegalandPolicyFrameworkforWastewaterBackgroundReview.pdf.

9

As the population grows, India is not poised to keep pace with future sewage treatment needs.

CONTEXT

Sources: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). (2013, August). Performance evaluation of sewage treatment plants under NRCD. Retrieved from http://cpcb.nic.in/upload/NewItems/NewItem_195_STP_REPORT.pdf.

Banerjee, A. Legal and policy framework for wastewater treatment and reuse in India: A background review. Retrieved from http://www.igep.in/live/hrdpmp/hrdpmaster/igep/content/e48745/e57806/e61054/e61056/LegalandPolicyFrameworkforWastewaterBackgroundReview.pdf.

India lacks the infrastructure to effectively treat the sewage generated today with capacity as

low as 8% in Tier II cities.

Unless significant investment is made in infrastructure, this capacity gap is expected to

rise as the urban populations grow.

Current and future sewage generation in Tier I and II cities in India compared to current treatment capacity.

Sewage generation (yellow) vs. treatment capacity (green) in Indian cities.

10

The growing rate of urbanization is straining city infra-structure and amplifying the need for sanitation solutions.

CONTEXT

• India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers between 2014 and 2050. Four of India’s cities with 5 to 10 million inhabitants presently are projected to become megacities in the coming years (Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderbad), for a total of seven megacities projected in the country by 2030.

• The growth in urban areas has left many Indian cities deficient in infrastructure services as water supply, sewerage, water drainage, and solid waste management. In fact, 20% of cities have sewerage networks.

• Sewage and sewage management is a significant challenge for all urban areas in India.

Source: Bhagat, R B. (2011). Emerging pattern of urbanisation in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 46(34), 10–12.

11

The infrastructure gap exists not only in sewage treatment capacity but also in access to public toilets.

CONTEXT

Sources: Findings from survey of public toilet infrastructure and services. (2013). Transparent Chennai.

16368

13217 12791

6425

8443.675

1035180 413 714 600

0

2000

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Mumbai Kolkata Delhi Chennai Bangalore

Population (1000s) # Public/Community Toilets in Largest City

City # of toilets/ 1,000 people

Mumbai 0.06

Kolkata 0.01

Delhi 0.03

Chennai 0.11

Bangalore 0.07

This deficit is amplified across gender lines, with there being 42% more public facilities for men than women.

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The consequence of inadequate sanitation solutions is poor health, which hinders livelihoods and economic development.

CONTEXT

Source: Tyagi, A. et al. (2011). The economic impacts of inadequate sanitation in India. Water and Sanitation Program. Flagship report. New Delhi.

• Health and economic impacts of inadequate sanitation in India are significant, totaling over USD$53 billion.

• The ability to remove and treat human waste is necessary to protect public health and support economic development.

13

The ultimate responsibility falls on the state governments, but the local corporations often facilitate implementation.

CONTEXT

• According to the Indian Constitution, sewage and sewage treatment falls under the purview of the state, specifically falling under the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

• The municipal corporation is responsible for executing the construction directive.

• The corporation office can perform its tasks through- public projects,- public-private partnerships, and- tenders for private-party contractors.

National government

Sets standards

State government

Central responsibility

Municipal corporations

Executing agency

Private contractors

Conveyance of system

Nongovernmental organizations

(NGOs)Conveyance of system

14

CONTEXT

Municipal corporations execute toilet construction tasks via three means, issuing of tenders being most common.

Public Projects

The majority of public projects for public toilets are limited to schools, institutes, public markets, and transportation terminals where the operation and maintenance is performed by the on-site authority (railway authority, port trust, or municipal corporation), and use is free of cost.

Tenders

Government issues RFPs for construction and operation/maintenance of public and community toilets. RFPs are commonly issued by the Ministry for Urban Development (MoUD), Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, or municipal corporations, however, added degrees of complexity exist due to the common practice of layered subcontracting. The toilets constructed under this model can be either pay-per-use toilets, in which the concessionaire is entitled to collection fees from advertising as well as fees collected for use, or through a direct model in which the government awards a contract for construction and operation/maintenance over a period of usually 5 to 10 years with varying amounts of oversight.

Public-Private Partnerships

Community toilets: Local government works with NGOs to provide an integrated approach where their funding, management capacity, and institutional capacity are packaged under a single joint initiative. Awareness and education campaigns are conducted. Upfront capital from the local government is used to facilitate construction through third-party contractors. The NGO then establishes a community-based organization (CBO) and small local businesses enterprise (SLBE) to collect money from users under a two-pay system: a monthly pass for families and a one-off tariff for the floating population.

Public toilets: These can be implemented as: • Build-own-operate: A local body provides

land and capital expense to a private entity who constructs and operates the toilet under a fixed-term contract.

• Build-operate-transfer: A local body provides land and equity to a private entity via Request for Proposals (RFPs); awardee constructs and operates toilet for 5 to 7 years.

Note: Although less common, some NGOs directly fund the construction and implementation of public and community toilets.

Examples include: • Arghyam • Paryavaran Solutions• Banka BioLoo

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights

Third-party Contractor Profiles

16

To move this critical development issue forward, the Modi administration has introduced several new initiatives.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Swachh Bharat Mission Objectives1

1. Elimination of open defecation

2. Eradication of manual scavenging

3. Modern and scientific municipal solid waste management

4. To effect behavioral change regarding healthy sanitation practices

5. Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health

6. Capacity augmentation for ULBs

7. To create an enabling environment for private-sector participation in CAPEX and OPEX

252K Community toilets sanctioned for 2014–2018.

18.6% of households do not have toilet facilities within their premises.2

77% Gap currently exists between the number of toilets sanctioned by the Swachh Bharat Mission and those that have been completed.

256K Public toilets sanctioned for 2014–2018.

Sources: 1 Swachh Bharat Urban. RFD for the Swachh Bharat Mission. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/writereaddata/Mission_Yearwise_Targets.pdf

2 Swachh Bharat Urban. Mission objectives. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/writereaddata/Mission_objective.pdf.

One such initiative is Swachh Bharat, to support the state governments in addressing sanitation challenges.

17

Swachh Bharat has sanctioned the construction of 82,438 toilets, but only 18,633 have been completed.The greatest gap between sanctioned and completed toilets are in the South Indian states of Karnataka and Gujarat.8

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Sources: indzara.blogspot.com; Swachh Bharat Urban. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/ISNAHome.aspx

States with largest gap (#):

• Karnataka (8,800)

• Gujarat (6,990)

• Andra Pradesh (6,630)

• Tamil Nadu (6,528)

States with smallest gap:

• Mizoram (42)

• Bihar (62)

• Goa (70)

• Haryana (121)

18

Of the 57,366 community toilets sanctioned under the SwachhBharat Mission, 42,946 toilets still need to be completed.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

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States with the greatest gap between sanctioned and completed toilets: 1. Karnataka: 7,2502. Andman and Nicobar: 6,6303. Chhattisgarh: 5,9984. Tamil Nadu: 5,0685. Rajasthan: 2,070

Source: Swachh Bharat Urban. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/ISNAHome.aspx.

19

Completion rates for community toilet construction remain below 50% for the majority of states.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Source: Swachh Bharat Urban. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/ISNAHome.aspx.

Seven states have no sanctioned community toilets

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Gap Between Sanctioned and Completed Community Toilets (%)

Eleven states have not completed the construction of any sanctioned toilets:• Andman and Nicobar• Punjab • Assam • Gujarat • Arunachal Pradesh • Uttar Pradesh • Jharkhand • Goa • Andra Pradesh • Manipur • Meghalaya

As of September 2015, only two states (Odisha and Sikkim) have completed the construction of community toilets.

20

Of the 35,287 public toilets sanctioned under the SwachhBharat Mission, 25,474 toilets still need to be completed.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Source: Swachh Bharat Urban. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/ISNAHome.aspx.

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States with the greatest gap between sanctioned and completed toilets:1. Chandigarh UT: 5,8542. Karnataka: 5,7303. Gujarat: 3,1364. Assam: 2,7905. Delhi UT: 1,888

21

Completion rates for sanitation public toilets are markedly low, with only 28% of all sanctioned toilets constructed.

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Source: Swachh Bharat Urban. Retrieved from https://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/ISNAHome.aspx.

12 states have no sanctioned public toilets

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

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Eleven states have not completed the construction of any sanctioned toilets:• Assam • Puducherry • Bihar • Uttarakhand• Andman and Nicobar • Punjab • Arunachai Pradesh • Uttar Pradesh • Jharkhand • Andra Pradesh• Meghalaya

PERSPECTIVES

22

Quantitative data indicates the clear need for greater access to public and community toilets. Understanding the users and context into which

products will be introduced is paramount to driving adoption and market success.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights• Community Toilets• Public Toilets

Third-party Contractor Profiles

24

To more fully understand users and stakeholders, RTI conducted primary research in Coimbatore.

Stakeholder Number of Individuals Interviewed

Community Toilets Public Toilets

User 7 4

NGO 1 0

Janitor 2 1

PRIMARY RESEARCH

25

The process for the construction of both community and public toilets begins with a government tender.Steps:1. Wards petition the corporation for new toilets.

2. Corporation identifies the land.

3. Corporation issues a tender for installation and maintenance, and contractors respond.

4. Contractor is selected according to financial and technical parameters assigned by government.

5. Contractor constructs toilets.

6. Contractor hires janitors to maintain the toilets; periodic government inspections.

7. Corporation hires septic tank cleaners who work with contractors to arrange pumping.

8. Users have access to sanitation.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Petition, then corporation

identifies land

Tender issued and bid

Contractor selected

Facility constructed

Janitor identified by

contract

Use and maintenance

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights• Community Toilets• Public Toilets

Third-party Contractor Profiles

27

Community toilets are installed by third-party contractors awarded government contracts.Facility characteristics• All toilets visited were pour-flush, Indian-style.

• Several facilities had personal wash space in addition to toilet facilities.

• Some facilities had potentially (often intermittently) limited water supply.

• Many sites lacked access to reliable (or any) electricity.

• Most community toilets were free for community member use.

• One facility had overflowing raw sewage at the time of our visit (see photo on bottom right).

PRIMARY RESEARCH

28

Follow-on service and maintenance for community toilets is contracted to third-party providers.Service and Maintenance• Service contracts are awarded for a set period,

typically ranging from 5 to 7 years.

• Private contractors handle all problems and make decisions involving maintenance.

• The contractor typically hires a community member to service the toilets on a daily basis serving as the janitor.

• The janitor handles daily cleaning with supplies provided by the contractor.

• Janitors have little to no decision-making power throughout the operations and maintenance process.

• The corporation also contracts for sewage removal, typically done by a truck pump. This contractor coordinates pumping with the O&M contractor.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Sumathi, A Janitor’s Perspective:

“People throw everything in the toilet, from gum to cloth to sanitary napkins…they just don’t know.”

—Sumathi

• Oversees more than one facility

• States that he cleans toilets twice a day

• Responsible for clearing garbage from the toilets as well as fixing minor blockages or leaks

• Takes pride in his work

29

Community toilet users indicate a willingness to pay for cleaner facilities.Users• Users are typically families in low-income

communities that lack in-home latrines.

• Access to the toilets are typically free, but we heard multiple examples of families in the communities offering “tea-money” to the janitor. While it’s not required, it did seem to be expected.

• Users expressed frustration that the facilities were crowded in the morning and frequently closed.

• Most families indicated that they would be willing to pay Rs. 5–10 for access to cleaner facilities.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Gowri, A User’s Perspective:

“It is free, but we tend to pay the cleaners some money for their work every week or every month.”

—Gowri

• Lives with her husband, nephew, and father-in-law in a rented home that does not have a toilet

• Is an auditor for a small dental clinic and earns Rs.3000/mo.

• States that she is willing to pay for a cleaner facility

• Uses the public toilet twice a day

• States that when the public toilet is shut, she goes to a different location via vehicle and pays to use the public toilet

• States that her nephew at times uses the toilet at his grandmother’s place

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights• Community Toilets• Public Toilets

Third-party Contractor Profiles

31

Public toilets are installed and maintained by third-party contractors awarded government contracts.Facility characteristics• The style varies based on third-party contractor.

• Facilities are typically located in high-traffic areas such as public transportation hubs and markets.

• Contractors have the right to charge per use to offset their O&M costs. Government does not regulate this.

• There are more facilities (e.g., urinals) provided for males than females.

• All facilities visited were bucket-flush.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

32

Public toilet users state that they are generally satisfied with current public toilet conditions in Coimbatore.Users• There are three primary types of users:

- Those in transit- Those working near the facility, such as the

vendors and city workers- Community toilet users seeking cleaner

facilities or access during community toilet closure

• Most users verbally indicated their satisfaction with the current facilities.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Users’ Perspective• Noorjahan was visiting the neighboring park

and uses the public toilet “when they go outside.”

• Ramachandran is a sugar cane juice vendor. He works nearby and pays Rs. 5 to use the toilet. He says it’s clean, and they use bleaching powder when they clean it every 2 to 3 hours. He mentioned that the pumping lorry comes “if there is a problem.”

• Sumathi, another user, mentioned that it is closed when the contractor gets changed, and there is no one there to watch over it.

33

While the government is the primary decision maker, the work is performed by third-party contractors.

Community Toilets Public Toilets Location Centrally located in communities

near homesIn high-traffic areas such as

transportation hubs and marketsTypical user This is daily toilet access for

community membersThose in transit or those who are

working nearbyPayer/O&M Corporation/Third party Corporation/Third party

Cost to user Typically free Free or Rs. 5 for pay-per-use1

Current handling of waste Septic or pit Underground drainage (UDG) or septic

PRIMARY RESEARCH

TABLE OF CONTENTS Task Objectives

Project Approach

Context

Swachh Bharat Mission

Primary Insights

Third-party Contractor Profiles

35

CONTEXT

Three primary paths to market exist to address the community and public toilet market.

Securing public funding directly

Track state-issued tenders for contractors, and submit a bid through the common application process.

Developing an independent venture

Launch an independent venture with a self-sustaining service model (e.g., pay-per-use).

Partnering with a public contractor or an independent

providerIdentify contractors or independent providers that are responsible for installing toilets, and partner as a system/technology supplier.

Suvidha Bio Foundation

36

Securing public funding directly through government-issued RFPs can provide instant revenue and market entry.

Competition for these are very high. Considerations for accessing government tenders:

MARKET ENTRY

Pros Cons• Contracts are longer term, ~5 to 7years, which

guarantees midterm revenue.

• Government is bought-in and handles site identification and permitting.

• The process is highly competitive.

• Relationships will be important to securing bids and could be challenging to establish for a foreign firm.

• Scale will have to be achieved through a bid-by-bid response process.

• According to contractors with whom we’ve interviewed, the government tender process and bureaucratic and payments can be a source of delay.

37

Partnering with a public contractor or an independent provider can provide quick access but limits control.

Considerations for accessing government tenders:

MARKET ENTRY

Pros Cons• There is quick market entry as a system supplier

to a partner with existing contracts.

• Partner is responsible for local government relationships and securing installation opportunities.

• It eliminates responsibility of daily service and maintenance.

• Growth is dependent on the partner’s ability to scale.

• Brand and reputation are deeply linked to the performance of the partner.

Case studies illustrating the success and failure of public toilet contractors are provided in the next section.

38

Developing an independent venture allows control of own growth, but achieving scale may be challenging.

Considerations for accessing government tenders:

MARKET ENTRY

Pros Cons• You are in control of your own growth and scale. • Land must still be accessed and provided

through government contracts.

• High volume of use will be required in this low-margin business in order to develop a sustainable business model.

• A clear service and maintenance model will be essential.

• Scale may take significant time.

39

Considering multiple paths to market, the partner option appears to have more opportunity and fewer barriers.

MARKET ENTRY

RFP Bid Partnering Independent venture

Quick access to market opportunities

Control of opportunity

Scalability

Avoidance of bureaucracy

Service model addressed by others

Established financial model

40

The following is a framework for discussing paths to market.

MARKET ENTRY

Speed to MarketFastSlow

Scal

abili

ty

High

Low

Launching an independent venture

Partnering with a contractor or venture

Pursuing government contracts

Suvidha Bio Foundation

Company Profile

41

“One thing holding back more Namma toilets being built is politics; I wish this weren’t true, but there is a fight among politicians as to who will actually cut the ribbon when opening new toilets. So now that is delayed. Who cares who cuts the ribbon? These politicians aren’t the ones using the toilets anyway.”

—City Engineer

“Named ‘Namma toilet,’ only that users have not had a stake in the decision over its location.”

—Article in The Hindu

PUBLIC TOILET CONTRACTORS: NAMMA TOILETS

Namma Toilets was contracted to install toilets in Tamil Nadu, but to date, has not fulfilled its contract.

About: Namma Toilets, which means “Our Toilets” in Tamil, was introduced by the Chennai Municipal Authority in 2012 as a tool for eliminating open defecation in Tamil Nadu.The Toilets: Namma Toilets makes modular toilets with FRP, making them easy to install quickly. Features include concealed plumbing and automated flush systems. The toilets are customizable in terms of number; various combinations of regular toilets and handicap-accessible ones exist.Water and Sewage: The toilets are designed to have a continuous water supply. They will be connected to UGD if possible; otherwise, they will be connected to a septic tank that the corporation will maintain.Cost: The toilets are free to users. The average unit cost works out to between Rs. 2.3 and 2.9lakh ($3,800–$4,800). This cost does not include operations and maintenance, water supply, water and sewer connections, septic tank (if sewer connection doesn’t exist), and base construction.Major Problems:• Location: Namma toilets have been set up outside bus stands and auto

stands, making women uncomfortable.• Septic tanks not being cleaned: Overflow goes into the open drain.• Water availability: Varies widely among toilets; many don’t have water.• Contractor issues: The corporation has paid Rs. 4crore to a contractor to

construct more toilets, but he has only installed 12 out of 21.2• Maintenance: Not consistent; lots of smell and cleanliness complaints.

Company Profile

42

“A Maharashtra bride who received a ‘toilet’ as her wedding gift, as she preferred it over jewelry, will now be given a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh by a sanitation NGO for taking a stand on the issue. Inspired by 'Swachch Bharat' campaign, the woman from Akola district insisted on a toilet in her in-laws' house, placing basic sanitation needs much ahead of other wedding presents.

Lauding the inspiring step by ChaitaliGalakhe of Andura village in Balapurtehsil of Akola district, SulabhInternational on Sunday announced Rs10 lakh cash award for her”

—Article in India Times

Sources: Sulabh International, UNDP, 1) http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/maharashtra-bride-who-inspired-by-swachch-bharat-campaign-insisted-on-a-toilet-as-her-wedding-gift-gets-rs-10-lakh-reward-from-sulabh-international-ngo-232753.html

PUBLIC TOILET CONTRACTORS: SULABH INTERNATIONAL

Sulabh is an NGO that has constructed more than 7,000 toilets to date and has been criticized for charging users.

About: Sulabh International Social Service Organization was founded in 1970 by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak primarily to combat the use of manual scavengers of toilet waste. Sulabh’s mission has five stages: (1) liberation of human scavengers, (2) rehabilitation of such workers, (3) vocational training, (4) proper education of next generation, and (5) social elevation.The Toilet: Sulabh Shauchalaya Toilets are two-pit, pour-flush compost toilets. They’re designed such that they use 1.5 to 2 L of water per manual flush and connect directly to two leach pits. Sulabh operates in public toilet blocks and in slum housing complexes. Some toilets are connected to biogas digesters and are used to power the genset connected to the toilet system. Sulabh is currently experimenting with effluent treatment as well.Cost: Toilets are operated on a pay-per-use basis. The local government pays for the CAPEX, and the fees collected from usage pay for operations and maintenance. Construction cost per toilet is Rs. 30,000 (USD$500), and price per use is about Rs. 2.Maintenance: Sulabh has a 30-year guarantee on maintenance of its toilets.Success: To date, Sulabh has installed over 1.3 million household toilets and over 8,000 community toilet blocks. An additional 54 million government toilets have been built based on their design. They estimate that 15 million people use Sulabhtoilets every day and 640 towns have been made “scavenger-free.”Challenges: While Sulabh has made major strides in the sanitation marketplace, it has been criticized for charging users. Critics claim that charges actually increase the likelihood of open defecation.

Company Profile

43

PUBLIC TOILET CONTRACTORS: BANKA BIOLOO

Banka BioLoo is a for-profit company that relies heavily on government contracts and infrastructure companies.

About: Banka BioLoo manufactures the ELOO, a toilet unit that disposes of human waste in a safe and effective manner. This sanitation system can be installed at places where conventional toilet facilities cannot be made available. The company builds, promotes, manufactures, and supplies ELOO, the BioDigester toilets. The Toilet: A BioDigester toilet unit collects human waste and produces biogas (methane and CO2) for household purpose and nutrient-rich recycled wastewater. The reclaimed water produced is especially effective for use as a fertilizer in rural areas. The toilet can be used by more than 300 people per day. Cost: The installation and initial inoculation of the biodigestion tank costs about Rs. 30,000.Maintenance: The unit requires no maintenance once installed. Success: Much of the initial business came from infrastructure companies like L&T, Shapoorji Pallonji &Co, and the Tata Group, which required portable public toilets at its sites. Indian Railways have also begun to enter into a specific-rate contract to equip its rail car toilets to biotoilets, with 700 tanks installed to date. As of 2014, Banka had constructed 1000+ BioLoos. Challenges: Competing with large companies for orders, faulty usage of the bio-toilets dampens its effectiveness, requiring maintenance and re-seeding of bacteria in its biodigesters.

Sources: Pittalwalla, F. (2013, December 13). Bio-toilets provide eco-friendly sanitization to the poor in BKC’s Bharat Nagar. Mid-Day. Retrieved from http://www.mid-day.com/articles/bio-toilets-provide-eco-friendly-sanitisation-to-the-poor-in-bkcs-bharat-nagar/244450; Chakraborty, S. (2013, December 4). Will Banka Bioloo’smodel of tackling sanitation woes work? SME Step Up. Retrieved from http://www.moneycontrol.com/sme-stepup/news/will_banka_bioloos_model_of_tackling_sanitation_woes_work-1002007.html; Pilla, V. (2014, October 20). Banka Bioloo. Where bacteria rules. Live Mint. Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PgTxkaye198clriv0sp81I/Banka-Bioloo--Where-bacteria-rules.html.

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PUBLIC TOILET CONTRACTORS: ERAM SCIENTIFIC

Eram Scientific produces electronic public toilets for purchase by local governments.

About: The e-Toilet is a modular, pay-per-use public toilet with high-tech electrical connections and an ecofriendly design.The Toilet: “eToilet incorporates full-cycle approach in sustainable sanitation by integrating convergence of electronics, mechanical, Web-mobile, portable, hygienically maintained and eco friendly. eToilet is India’s first electronic public toilet.” Eram provides separate toilets for men and women, with gender-specific designs. The technology incorporates licensed biodigester technology from DRDO.” Cost: INR 2 lakh, with a new model estimated to come at a cost of 1 lakh. Each use costs a minimum of Rs. 0.5 to 5. Maintenance: With automated flushing and self-cleaning and a sterilization mechanism, the toilet requires little to no maintenance.Success: To date, 1200+ eToilet units have been set up across 18 states in India, primarily through government initiatives.Business model: eToilets are bought on ownership basis by government institutions, and Eram is responsible for the technical maintenance and servicing of the units.

Source: Eram Scientific. India’s first electronic public toilet. Retrieved from http://www.eramscientific.com/?q=productoftheyear#.

Image source: The Hindu. (2011, August 8). Green army all set for action. Retrieved from http://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/article2335844.ece.