I was intrigued to read over the weekend news that the first public toilets for decades have been opened in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. I was even more amazed to learn the the company behind the project was an Indian NGO. The project sounds interesting; rather than using loads of water to flush things away - the wasteful system used in the West - these new lavatories are equipped with a bio-gas digester and the subsequent methane produced can be used for heating and lighting.
And it certainly sounds as though Kabul needs this new technology as its old sewage system had fallen into disrepair. The report I read said: "When Kabul was a thinly populated town, it was feasible and safe for donkey carts to carry the waste out of town, explains Ghulam Sakhi Noorzad, former mayor and now advisor at the presidential palace. Rapid urbanisation, high population density and lack of proper roads have made this practice infeasible. In fact, there are no donkey carts on the roads of Kabul today." Instead, there is a foul smell over much of the city and Unicef and others say diarrhoeal diseases abound. So it all sounds terrific. What surprised me, however, was that this toilet technology came from India. Not the technology bit: India is quite obviously full of smart, creative, enterprising people. There are a growing number of people here as well, who are concerned about the environment and are thinking of better ways to save resources. But India and public toilets? One of my bugbears about living here is that so many people - the overwhelming majority of them being men - simply use the side of the road as a public toilet. Of course, millions and millions of people have little alternative and they certainly don't have lavatories at home. But the obsession with urinating along the side of the road appears to cross class boundaries. On a long stretch of highway near to where I live, I always see cars parked up and their drivers urinating on the curb just a few feet away. In Connaught Place, a colonial-era radial in the city centre, there is a patch of grass where you'll see lines of businessmen clutching bags and briefcases with one hand while merrily taking a pee. There are undoubtedly huge public health issues associated with this phenomenon but another result is that large parts of Indian cities stink to high heaven. I'd be delighted if the bio-gas project kicks off in Afghanistan and that more of these terrific sounding lavatories get built. And I'll be even more delighted if they introduce them in India.
but they do exist in India. The Kabul toilets have been done by Sulabh, and Sulabh operates 6000 public toilet blocks in India, and several have biogas digesters (including at Sulabh HQ in Delhi). Not that that fact will stop men peeing (though peeing in a Sulabh toilet is free) and I agree that there is a puzzling lack of care about public spaces in India. But it's not a problem of lack of Indian technology.
Posted by: rosegeorge | Monday, 01 October 2007 at 11:53 AM
India and the toilet have a long and proud history. The earliest example of a flush toilet dates back to Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1700 BCE) where every house had a flush toilet connected to a complicated city-wide sewage works.
Another great invention from India to add to a list which includes the concept of zero and chess.
Posted by: Suraj Ashok | Thursday, 04 October 2007 at 04:02 PM
Sir
"I was even more amazed to learn the company behind the project was an Indian NGO"
My comment Indian and Pakistanis are very clever businessmen. And you talk of NGO. In Tanzania we have Red Cross and many NGO. They get the donations from many big corporations, not toilets albeit, but I need to look at the map, as in Tanzania there are no free toilets. Poor as we are, the toilets are in the hands of the some scrupulous businessmen in conjunctions with the Municipalities to make money. In fact there are no accounts of how much money was/is received.
This we have inherited from India and Pakistan as most of the students see the Indian movies and love the Bolywood.
The culture is like India and Pakistan.
I do not blame the shift of the culture. What I am stating is if an individual is so clever in getting the donations on the computer print outs and obtain donations by pleadings all for good cause, receiving the commodisities are sold in the market.
The toilet is free in India and Pakistan were the trees and the holes only. My friend has not read the history.
The ceramics or the brick came recently and not as far as the Dinosaur’s ages.
How can you talk of free toilets in India? There are now there? You pay for the entry. Then you talk of these in Afghanistan that is purely Muslim and need water after the visit of the loo.
So what we are saying is the building, light, water, nails to hang the trouser and the flush?
Is that it?
Who is talking about the 3000BC?
Look, all here are out to make quick money. To go to bathrooms, smoke think about the how to create an NGO is a fantastic idea but to build one. I just do not digest this?
Pass me the paper towel please I am sweating honest. This is rubbish.
Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa
Posted by: Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD | Friday, 12 October 2007 at 05:25 AM
Dr Mulla, Thanks for taking the time to write. I am glad you're reading the blog. You'll notice, however, that I have slightly edited your comment to the posting about India's public toilets and deleted one sentence. I am keen to encourage everyone who posts here to do so without using language that is, or could be considered, derogatory. Best wishes, Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Buncombe | Friday, 12 October 2007 at 06:52 AM
India does have public toilets albeit very few and even fewer for women. But steps are being taken in this direction. As proved by the Toilets Conference in Delhi about providing such basic sanitation facilities for the 700 million people in India. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to walk down a lane in India without watching a man zip up and walk away, his job done.
Posted by: Lyandra | Monday, 12 November 2007 at 04:47 PM
ALL COUNTRIES NEED ADEQUATE PUBLIC TOILET PROVISION. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS NOT TAKING A PEE BUT THE OTHER END.
Posted by: PAUL DAVIS | Tuesday, 13 November 2007 at 01:42 PM
http://visav.phys.uvic.ca/~babul/AstroCourses/P303/harappan.html
One of the most fascinating yet mysterious cultures of the ancient world is the Harappan civilization. This culture existed along the Indus River in present day Pakistan. It was named after the city of Harappa which it was centered around. Harappa and the city of Mohenjo-Daro were the greatest achievements of the Indus valley civilization. These cities are well known for their impressive, organized and regular layout. They have well laid our plumbing and drainage system, including indoor toilets. Over one hundred other towns and villages also existed in this region. The Harappan people were literate and used the Dravidian language. Only part of this language has been deciphered today, leaving numerous questions about this civilization unanswered.
Posted by: Arup Roy Chowdhury | Saturday, 18 October 2008 at 10:25 AM
It is ironic and amusing to hear that a toilette has been created by the true toilette of countries!
Posted by: Bill | Saturday, 18 October 2008 at 06:12 PM
Overwhelmed by some facts published here...probably we must start boasting about the facts that things were invented here, mentioning the dates.Mention of the beginning of the civilization's existence for centuries has no relevance to how India is progressing..I am an Indian and I am so dissapointed by how slow we have progressed besides being the country from which most learned and intellectual people hail from....
Posted by: Nishant Venkatesan | Sunday, 30 November 2008 at 05:48 AM
A proper sanitation system is necessary for anybody to run a proper city.
Posted by: Joe the Dog Lover | Monday, 01 December 2008 at 09:41 PM