CUBBON PARK:A Bengaluru company has just begun installing pre-fabricated toilets that can 'harvest' urine.
The first of the toilets will be set up today inside Cubbon Park. The technology, which the company claims is 'first-of-its-kind', uses dual plumbing, and diverts urine for the benefit of plants around the toilet.
M Sathish Kumar, project director, Phoenix Cabins, told City Express, "Urine harvesting is the latest trend in waste disposal. It takes five times as much water to flush a quantity of urine."
The toilet treats urine with a desalination technique, and the manure thus generated is used for grass and plants. The company is planning to install 200 toilet blocks in and around the city and has got the Horticulture Department to commission them for Cubbon Park. It envisages a demand for 2,200 units in the city.
"Cubbon Park and Lalbagh need 10 units each. We have also sent proposals to BBMP and the Department of Tourism," he says.
Satish believes most public locations need urinals, and not lavatories. The company is looking at auto-flush toilets, with solar panels for lighting and smart cards that provide access to public toilets across the country.
With maintenance being key to the success of any hygiene project, the company promises to take ownership of the toilets.
Many models have been attempted in the city, and only Sulabh Sauchalaya has been around for a while, he observed. "Even that is badly maintained. It is functional but not inviting. People with some amount of affordability would not want to use it," he said.
Corporate participation has also failed, and an example is Nirmala toilet supported by Infosys. "It was a big experiment, but unfortunately maintenance was given to the government and the toilets are in a pathetic condition," he said.
Toilets set up by Phoenix can be dismantled and make no permanent demand on land.
How much?
A urine-harvesting toilet block costs Rs 10 lakh to set up, and about Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 a month to maintain. Visitors can pay Rs 1 to use the urinal and Rs 2 to use the lavatory.
