Sulabh technology gives clean water from human waste

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) Driven by its guiding principle that ''even wastes are not to be wasted'', Sulabh International has achieved a major breakthrough by developing a new technology that can extract clean water from human waste.

Elated over the breakthrough, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, a pioneer in the field of sanitation, said the new technology can have major implications for cleaning the Ganga and the Yamuna, the two most polluted rivers of the country.

''The pioneering technology will not only save the rivers from pollution but would also help tackle the problem of water shortage to some extent,'' Dr Pathak told a press conference here today where he demonstrated the refined water.

The charcoal-based ultra violet water filter, developed by the in-house research team of Sulabh International, treats waste water effleunts from biogas plants running on human excreta.

''The treated water is colourless, odourless and pathogen-free.

Its Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is less than 10 mg per litre, which is quite safe for pisciculture (nurturing fish), irrigation and horticulture,'' he said.

A recipient of Padma Shri and several national and international awards, Dr Pathak said such waste water, which is collected in this process, can be discharged in any water body, including rivers, without causing any pollution.

''Such a decentralised treatment system is an appropriate and affordable way to overcome the problem of waste water pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. More importantly, it is indigenously develoed.'' Dr Pathak, who was recently honoured by the European Parliament at Brussels, hoped that the new technology would give a boost to the dream project of late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who launched the ambitious Ganga Action Plan way back in 1986.

''In addition to nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, this water contains all micro-nutrients required for the growth of plants,'' he said, adding that ''it has advantages of inorganic fertiliser in many ways as it improves soil texture and does not cause acidity or alkinity of the soil.'' He also informed that Sulabh owed its success in developing the new technology to a suggestion from famous nuclear scientist Raja Ramanna.

''We were finding it difficult to retain the nitrogen content of water extracted from human waste. Without nitrogen content, water is of little use for irrigation,'' he noted.

Dr Ramanna then suggested to using a charcoal-based ultra violet water purifier, and it worked wonders for the Sulabh International.

Dr Pathak said the new technology has generated tremendous interest in African countries, China and Bangladesh.

''I have received proposals from at least 14 African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Zaire and Congo, to train their sanitary personnel in this technology. Even China and Bangladesh have shown interest in it,'' he pointed out.

Sulabh International had set up five biogas-based plants in Kabul, with a financial assistance of Rs 3.22 crore from the Indian government. These plants have now become fully operational.

He also said his organisation had succeeded in designing door and window planks out of biogas plants. ''For disposal of waste from public toilets, high rise buildings and housing colonies, the Sulabh technology is the best and safest way that generates power as well without any significant running cost,'' he claimed.

UNI