Scientists develop innovative toilets

Two groups of Indian scientists, along with their collaborators from the US and Europe, have come out with two low-cost, low-water intensive toilets. The toilets received positive feedback during the demonstration of the projects.

With support from the department of biotechnology, the researchers now plan to popularise these toilets among sections of the population with poor access to sanitation. Created by the Kerala-based company Eram Scientific, along with the University of South Florida, the first of the two toilets reuses the waste water and treats the sludge to create bio-gas to generate energy. It is powered by solar panels placed atop the toilets.

The firm installed these toilets in two schools where more than 1,500 students are using it daily. The second toilet was made by scientists at the Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani (Goa campus) and Ghent University, Belgium. It uses electrochemical technology to remove toxic content from the waste water for reuse. They created one such toilet inside the campus that is used by 100 students daily.