Mangaluru's 1st e-toilet to set the ball rolling on hygiene
Two toilets have been installed at Lalbagh Service Bus Stand, two near Kadri Park and one at Town Hall-Central Railway Station Road. The MLA said that as part of its CSR initiative, Hindustan Petrochemical Corporation Limited (HPCL) has built the toilets at a cost of Rs 30 lakh.
The new toilets lay emphasis on maintenance of cleanliness. There is a requirement of 30-35 such toilets in the city. MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil said that HPCL has done a commendable job by providing the basic facility. More companies are expected to join hands with the administration in installing more toilets.
Usage of e-toilets
The e-toilets have been designed as a user-friendly and easy-to-maintain sanitation model. With mass accessibility and affordability as its core functioning principle, the e-toilets are simple to operate by inserting a one rupee or two rupee coin to open the doors. Once a user enters the toilet, a siren blows after nine minutes and at the thirteenth minute, the maximum time allocated for a user, the light inside the toilet will switch off automatically. While the toilet is in use, a red light will glow on the outside and when not in use a green light will glow instead. After the user comes out, the flushing operation happens automatically.
A GPRS network remotely monitors the usage of toilets. The authorities can keep a check on the functionality of e-toilets through a web or mobile interface. The e-toilet mobile app helps in locating the nearest e-toilet in a specified location and also provides crucial feedback about the facilities. The toilets have been programmed for undergoing a washing operation following their use by five or more persons.
Five in the city
“Every unit of the toilet costs Rs 6.5 lakh,” Kerala-based Eram Scientific Solutions Pvt Ltd Senior Regional Manager Sriram said. The firm has collaborated with the MCC in installing five e-toilets in Mangaluru city. Eram Scientific Solutions Pvt Ltd is a social enterprise which has so far installed over 2,100 e-toilets in more than 21 states.
Karnataka has adopted the e-toilet initiative with around 300 toilets already in operation. Built at an aggregate cost, the toilets have been installed at significant locations in the city. The toilets are in a ready-to-use mode and have been connected to the city’s sewage network.



















