Mangaluru's 1st e-toilet to set the ball rolling on hygiene

Mangaluru South MLA J R Lobo inaugurated the first e-toilet of the district at Lalbagh Bus stand in Mangaluru on Tuesday.

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.