Marginally functional 'namma toilets' fail in New Delhi

The 20 automatic ‘namma toilets’ installed across New Delhi are facing the same situation of namma toilets in Chennai. Despite assurances of cleanliness and hygiene, most of these public toilets have been rendered useless owing to a variety of reasons including lack of running water. The absence of water has made many of these toilets resemble dry toilets, making the job of using and cleaning them extremely difficult. The eco-friendly ‘namma toilets’ have been designed by the National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited. 

Hyderabad to implement solid waste management rules with immediate effect

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has decided to implement the solid waste management rules with immediate effect. The corporation has planned to implement 100 percent residential and institutional door-to-door collection of solid waste. Commercial establishments are expected to be penalised for dumping garbage in open areas. Revised user charges have been fixed for garbage collection and bylaws are expected to be framed very soon. 

Haryana's Building Code makes decentralised solid waste treatment compulsory

Decentralised solid waste management has now been made mandatory for housing societies, hotels and hostels under the Haryana Building Code. The code will enable the provision of a five percent additional Floor Area Ratio for the installation of such treatment plants in plots and sites other than those set aside for residential complexes. All towns and cities in Haryana have been grouped into 15 clusters to ensure efficient decentralised solid waste management. 

Two Gujarat rail routes declared green corridors

Two routes in Gujarat, totaling up to 175 km overall, have been declared waste discharge free zone by the Indian Railways. The Okha-Kanalus route, running a total distance of 141 km and the 34-km-long Porbandar-Wansjaliya sections have been declared green zones where there will be no open discharge of human faeces from rail toilets. Trains plying these sections have been fitted with biotoilets which help decompose excreta into water and gases instead of dumping them directly on to the tracks.

Donations for Swachh Bharat Kosh dwindling

The fund set up to garner donations from corporates and philanthropists across the country to further the Swachh Bharat Mission received a lukewarm response last year. The Swachh Bharat Kosh has managed to generate just Rs 444.69 crore over the last two years, with less than Rs 100 crore coming last year alone. Top three donors include the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Larsen & Toubro and the Rural Electrification Corporation. A sum of Rs 381.33 crore has been disbursed from the fund so far. 

This is a roundup of important sanitation related news published between October 15 and 21, 2016

Lead image courtesy: The Hindu