JOIN USMany organisations and individuals are working towards realising Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean Indian. Of the many, there is a notable lone soldier, Dayanand Appayanavarmath from Kargund village of Bailhongala taluk, who has been striving relentlessly to establish proper sanitation methodologies and getting rid of all open defecation units in his village.
The dire consequences of open defecation came to his notice when his father’s 10-acre farm situated at the far end of the village turned out to be a sanitation refuge of sorts for almost 15-20 families of the village. As a result, around 2-4 guntas of the farm turned useless for any form of farming activity. Dayanand realised that open defecation was literally a breeding ground for innumerable problems — environmental pollution, health issues, water contamination and so on. It was then that he decided to construct toilets alongside his farm for the betterment of the villagers.
The process
Consequently, four 3.3x3.3 feet self-sustaining toilets were installed at the cost of Rs 2.10 lakh. With one toilet assigned specifically for four families, Dayanand also supplied the lock and key and five-litre cans for every toilet and educated the members of 16 families about the right usage practices. For the past two years, these toilets have been registering a footfall of 96 everyday.
Thus, around 14 kg of methane gas is produced everyday, which is fed to a 4 sq feet (7 feet deep and 12 feet wide) gobar gas plant. Everyday, 10 kg of gobar slurry is mixed with the waste to eliminate all instances of foul odour. In all, around 20-22 kg of methane gas is obtained. The overflowing sediment is used to manufacture dry manure and the extra slurry is fed to a bio-digester plant. From there the slurry is fed to sugar cane plantations, fruit trees and other crops through drip irrigation. A 5HP motor is utilised to
connect the slurry from the plant to the irrigation pipes. The interesting fact here is that this motor runs on 20 per cent diesel and 80 per cent methane gas.
Initially, many villagers found the idea of using gobar gas plant connected to the toilets and the usage of the resultant gas for cooking purposes comical and questioned it vehemently. They argued over the fact that such a gas cannot be used to cook their meals, especially while preparing god’s offerings. But Dayanand says, “In spite of all the waste that our bodies carry, we don’t hesitate to pray god and for generations, we have used animal waste to clean our homes, then why should we consider this gas impure?”
Barring one or two months of monsoon, the plant produces abundant methane gas for the rest of the year. The gas is used for a variety of purposes — cooking, heating water, lighting lamps, running the motor pump sets and so on. Dayanand’s ingenious idea has led to abundant organic manure, methane gas, cleaner environment and elimination of a majority of problems arising out of open defecation in the village.
Many takers
Moreover, excellent growth of crops has led to a peak in the farmers’ interest
towards organic farming. “This initiative has also broken the myth that only chemical fertilisers lead to a good yield,” says Dayanand. Even neighbouring villages have adopted this system. Currently, 45 such units are operational in Kuragund and the surrounding villages of Gilihosur, Sampagaon and Pattihal. “Demand for five such units has come from the village of Lakkundi,” says Dayanand.
The government is also encouraging this practice by providing a subsidy. The initial investment to establish a waste treatment plant for two cubic metres of toilet is around Rs 40,000. The contribution of farmers is around Rs 15,000, and the rest is offered by the government. Dayanand helps interested farmers to avail the Zilla Panchayat’s assistance.
A housewife by profession, Sunanda Melavanki says, “Earlier, we were scared to go out for defecation, particularly during the night and monsoons. Foul odour and the risk of getting bitten by flies sitting on excreta discouraged many. But today, our surroundings are much cleaner and a fresher air prevails. Also, we get the dual benefit of fertiliser for our fields and fuel for our homes from this initiative.” A young farmer Mahantesh Melavanki says, “The manure produced by the combination of both human and animal waste has proved effective for my five-acre farm.”
Every great journey starts with a single step and Dayanand has certainly put his village and the surrounding ones on the path to a cleaner future with his efforts, serving as an exceptional role model for many.
(Translated by A Varsha Rao)