GUWAHATI, March 13 - To address the acute shortage of public toilets in the city, the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) has launched a project under the Smart City Mission for setting up of �Smart Bio Toilets� at major locations across the city.
GSCL Managing Director Dr M Angamuthu told The Assam Tribune today that the project will be implemented in three phases and will use technology approved by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).
In phase I, tender for which has already been awarded, Smart Bio Toilets will be set up at 30 places in the city by June. Among the places are the railway stations, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), bus stations, major markets and other public places.
This will be followed by phase II, during which 20 more locations will be covered after June. In phase III, the project will be expanded further under the public private partnership (PPP) model.
Thiruvananthapuram-based Eram Scientific Solutions Private Ltd is the supply and installation agency for phase I.
�The project cost for phase I is Rs 9.53 crore. Locations have been identified after basic analysis of footfall, water and power connectivity and to benefit maximum users. This contract will include designing, constructing and installing, operating and maintaining of Smart Bio Toilets for one year,� said Dr Angamuthu.
�The aim is to meet the demands of sustainable and hygienic sanitation system in the city, besides prevention of open defecation, preventing pollution of water bodies and promote safety and dignity for women and other users,� he said.
�The installation of Smart Bio Toilets in different locations in the city has been proposed under the Smart City Mission. This project will allow smart and electronically-operated, biodegradable, environment-friendly toilets with DRDO-approved bio-digester as well as remote monitoring of system at strategic locations,� Dr Angamuthu added.
The load capacity of each toilet will be minimum 200 defecations per day and the toilets will be of minimum Grade 304 stainless steel with unit dimension of up to 170 square feet. The operational time proposed for the toilets is from 6 am to 10 pm.
�The Smart Bio Toilets are fitted with DRDO-type bio-digesters. DRDO has developed a technology using zero-waste bio-digester that breaks down human excreta into usable water and gas through an anaerobic process. It uses psychotropic bacteria like Clostridium and Methanosarcina to break human excreta into methane and water through a series of steps of anaerobic digestion,� said Dr Angamuthu.
