ECORESTORATION & SANITATION

Eco-restoration and sustainable development are closely interlinked with the interplay of ecology, sociology, economics and culture. Eco-restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed. Four basic steps are used in ecological restoration and rehabilitation :

identification of the cause for degradation

elimination of toxic soil pollutants, addition of nutrients to depleted soil, addition of new topsoil and elimination of disruptive species

protection of the area from further degradation and from the disruptive effects of fires

monitoring restoration efforts, assessing success and modifying strategies. Eco-restoration is the collective effort of knowledge and technology generated by scientists, the commitment of policy-makers and involvement of local communities.

Soak pit

For Eco-restoration, SVADES is promoting Water Conservation and its judicious use, Plantations, Sanitation and use of Bio-Fertilizers and Bio-Nutrients. Annually during Monsoon season, SVADES undertakes plantation of saplings in Primary School having compound walls. SVADES has adopted 25 schools to promote plantation and inculcate habits of preserve and conserve nature among students. Till now, over 25,400 saplings have been planted in these schools. School children are imparted ecological environment training and they take up the responsibility of nurturing and maintaining these plants. The success rate has been 70 to 80% as children, teachers and principal are involved.

As water is becoming a scarce commodity, SVADES is concentrating on Roof Water Harvesting and Recharge of Bore-Wells. Both these actions will improve groundwater quality and quantity. The roof water can also store in water tanks for use as and when necessary.

Sanitation is another essential area where SVADES has many success stories. To improve quality, Sanitation has been of the main focus area. SVADES has developed a unique design of the cabin and soak pit which is robust and uses the least amount of water for cleaning. SVADES constructed its first Household Sanitary Latrine (HSL) in 1996 which is still operational. Sanitary latrines have been made constructed for schools as well as at individual household level. Swachh Bharat Mission gave a further push to this activity.

From 1995 itself SVADES had initiated addressing the Sanitation issue in the rural villages’ while the “Swatch Bharat Mission” had been framed in 2014. By constructing Household Sanitary Latrines (HSL) in 1996, SVADES had pioneered in Swatch Bharat mission and now in 2020 by initiating constructing Household Sanitary Bathroom (HSB), SVADES had pioneered another activity.

So far, partnering with different Corporates, SVADES have been constructed following facilities while some of them have been funded by the Government Agencies. Awareness drives and Training sessions have been imparted obligatory among the beneficiaries for safe sanitation practices, cleanliness as well as maintenance of the constructed units.

13,252 Household Sanitary Latrine units (HSL)

348 Household Sanitary Bathroom units (HSB)

88 School Sanitation Units (SSL-School Sanitary Latrine units) separate for both girls and boys along with teachers in the Panchayat Primary Schools of 75 different villages of Gujarat)

More than 25 Baby Toilets in different Aanganwadies

SVADES is training women members of the SHGs for the production of Vermin-Compost using bio-waste. This produced Vermin-Compost is being used in their farm fields as well as they have started selling of Vermin-Compost and thus have supportive earnings.

HOUSEHOLD SANITARY LATRINE (HSL)

HSL is a global need of today. Nearly 3 billion live without basic sanitation in the world. Six decades after freedom, three-forth of India’s population still using ‘open space’ for defecation. In villages, people are suffering numerous problems related to health, hygiene and sanitation, due to lack of latrine facilities. HSL provides hygienic conditions, avoids health problems especially of women and aged people. People can have good standard of living and social status through HSL. It also decreases environmental pollution and gives a clean and hygiene atmosphere.

To provide low cost Household Sanitary Latrine and to educate them about the clean environment aspect has been one of main focus of SVADES. A Survey was conducted in the villages before 1995 to find out the basic requirement needed by those who are below poverty line. The Survey threw light on requirement of Household Sanitary latrine. At that time only 2% of the community were having this sort of facility and as such they had to faced lot of problems in travel to distance place for Latrine especially during Monsoons for fear of being beaten by snakes, scorpion etc. The community sanitary latrine did not succeed in the villages as no one took the responsibility of cleaning the facility.

WHAT IS HSL?

Generally, many types of latrines can be built in houses. But at village level, due to shortage of water and limited resources, cheap and facilitative soak well latrines are beneficial to construct. So Household Sanitation Latrines (HSL) would be the best option for village people. Picture 1 shows a typical HSL constructed by SVADES.

Specialities of Soak well latrines :

It is cheap, permanent and durable

No gas and stink releases from it and environment can remain unpolluted.

Only 2 liters of water is needed for one visit.

It can be built on any type of soil.

No extra expenses for maintenance

It facilitates hygienic environment.

The main cabin is constructed from pre cast hollow blocks. Size of cabin is 3 feet by 3.6 feet. Clear height is 6 feet. The pre cast roof slab is in two pieces each 2 feet by 2.6 feet and 2inches thickness. This design provides robustness and rigidity. The cabin also remains cool during summers.

THE SOAK WELL is of special design and is constructed from bricks with honey comb structure. It is 10 feet deep and has a diameter of4feet. The pre cast cover is in two pieces and has thickness of 2 inches. This design takes care of water permeability.

HOUSEHOLD SANITARY BATHROOM (HSB)

HSB is a global need of today. Nearly 3 billion live without basic sanitation in the world. Six decades after freedom, three-forth of India’s population still using ‘open space’ for defecation. In villages, people are suffering numerous problems related to health, hygiene and sanitation, due to lack of latrine facilities. HSL provides hygienic conditions, avoids health problems especially of women and aged people. People can have good standard of living and social status through HSL. It also decreases environmental pollution and gives a clean and hygiene atmosphere.

For bathing, the community uses the open space nearby their home covered with some cloth or plastic material. There is no adequate disposal system of the grey-water in the village

Due to non-proper grey-water disposal and lack of safe, hygienic and secure bathing space, there are multiple issues in the village which needs to be addressed:

Nuisance of flies and mosquitoes contributing to poor community health especially children and elderly people. Bathing in open and dark also increase chances of insect bites

Women of the house have to take bath in Dark (either early in the morning or late at night)

Privacy, Dignity, and Safety of Women is compromised

Chances of Crime against Women increases

Proper body hygiene can’t be assured, unproper cleaning of private parts leads to infections and rashes

Pregnant ladies face serious issue of maternal health under such unsafe and unhygienic conditions

During Menstruation, it becomes difficult to clean themselves regularly and have to wait till no one is around, or till dark to change the spoiled cloth. Many times, they throw sanitary pads/cloth at the same place where they bath or even reuse the cloth after washing

To avoid all the above issues, need of constructing a closed and secured bathing space with disposal of grey-water is necessary. To provide low cost and sustainable Household Sanitary Bathroom and to educate them about the clean environment aspect has been one of main focus of SVADES.

WHAT IS HSB?

When people are poor and unable to meet even basic daily necessities, maintaining hygiene becomes a secondary issue. Bathing regularly is more like performing a ritual, neglecting its basic function of maintaining cleanliness. This situation prevails in most parts of rural India. The issue of survival and basic sustenance holds much deeper value than building bathrooms.
Generally, many types of bathrooms can be built in houses. But at village level, due to shortage of water and limited resources, cheap and facilitative brick bat soak well bathrooms are beneficial to construct. So Household Sanitary Bathrooms (HSB) would be the best option for village people. Picture below shows a typical HSB constructed by SVADES with bathing before and after situation.

Specialities of Bathroom with a Brick Bat Soak well:

It is low-cost, permanent and durable

No grey water in the open space and environment can remain unpolluted

It can be built on any type of soil.

No extra expenses for maintenance

It facilitates hygienic environment

It facilitate the safety to the women folks

The main cabin is constructed from pre-cast hollow blocks. Size of cabin is 3.6 feet by 4.9 feet. Clear height is 6.6 feet. The pre-cast roof slab is in three pieces each 2 feet by 2.6 feet and 2 inches thickness. This design provides robustness and rigidity. The cabin also remains cool during summers.

The Soak Well is of special design and is filled with the fresh brick bats with segregated size. It is 6/8 feet deep and has a diameter of 3 feet with covering of the 200 micron LDPE sheet. This design takes care of water permeability.

" Be the change that you want to see in the world."

- Mahatma Gandhi