Indian toilet model to be used in Afghanistan

NEW DELHI - Low-cost lavatory technique, developed by an Indian NGO, will be adopted by the US Army to build public toilets in Afghanistan, a senior US military official said.

The US troops will build at least 40 toilet complexes linked with biogas generation plants in Kandahar as a part of the reconstruction process in the country.

The technical know-how of the model designed by Sulabh International would also be shared with the Afghan government so that it can be used in other parts of the country, said Maj. Edward T. Mears at the engineering wing of the US Army in Afghanistan.

“I would like to share these designs with the Kabul ministry and Afghanistan Ministry of Energy and Water. I would like to know specifically about volume of the digesters and factors for expected biogas generation,” the official wrote in a letter to Sulabh made available to IANS.

Sulabh has already built five community toilets in Kabul as a part of reconstruction projects funded by India.

Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh, has vowed to provide all assistance required to build more such toilets that are “economically sustainable as they are based on pay-and-use system”.

“The system is not only useful for sanitation but also generate bio-fuel which is considered one of the vital non-conventional energy sources,” Pathak said.