Steam Center Blog

A Toilet enclosure made inside a green hedge W hile it has been recognized that using the outdoors as a toilet is a very poor idea leading to pollution of the environment and water sources, there is a need to come up with low cost alternatives. Depending on the location, different solutions are required. There cannot be one size fit all solution. There are four areas of expenses The toilet seat and associated piping The septic tank The enclosure Water piping In earlier posts of this blog very low cost alternative to item 1 ( see ) and 2 have been discussed and as regards item four it is also possible to improvise with a bucket of water drawn from a hand pump nearby thrown in the toilet. The cost of the enclosure however remains. In rural areas where open land is available next to the dwelling it is possible to build an enclosure with a green hedge too as shown in the figure. It may be argued that this does not provide full privacy but it h...

  A Low Cost squat toilet for use in rural homes W hile it seems that indoor toilets were invented in India five thousand years ago in Indus valley civilization, the intervening centuries of poverty have caused these to disappear from many homes, especially in rural India. The outdoors is used as an open toilet to defecate under the open skies. With increasing population this is leading to pollution of water sources and other health hazards. The present Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undertaken to change the situation. In this process the search for cheaper viable alternatives is required in order to accelerate the process. Existing Squat toilets The existing squat toilets are primarily made out of two materials, the ceramic toilet and the stainless steel toilet that are used in railway coaches. A third new alternative that is cheaper on the whole and quicker to install as well as lighter to transport is now described. The New stain...