India’s monsoon season, which typically lasts from June to September can bring with it heavy rains and lashing winds that cause flooding, waterlogging and landslides. These often damage or destroy toilets, contaminate water sources, wash away faecal matter and spread diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. Moreover, many rural households still do not have piped water supply or electricity, which makes it difficult to operate and clean flush toilets or septic tanks. As a result, many people use unsafe or unhygienic toilets during the monsoon season, exposing themselves and their environment to health hazards.
Designing Monsoon-Proof Toilets in Rural India
Since we will always be a nation with a monsoon season, and climate change is making monsoons worse, it is essential to design toilets that can withstand the harsh weather conditions and function effectively throughout the year. This takes on added significance in our rural areas, where repairs to toilets can often take much longer, thanks to paucity of materials, plumbers and contractors.
When we think of a monsoon-proof toilet, we think of a toilet that can resist corrosion, erosion, leakage, and collapse due to heavy rainfall, strong winds, and soil movement. Moreover, the toilet should be able to prevent the overflow or seepage of faecal matter and wastewater into the surrounding environment, which can cause pollution and health hazards. This creates a triple whammy in our villages – not only do people lose their safe and clean toilets, but they are also more likely to catch water-borne diseases, and may not have access to quality healthcare. In this way, we can draw a direct line between monsoon proof toilets and the health of our rural population.
In order to create monsoon-proof toilets that can last long enough to give communities a significant return on investment, the following factors must be considered.
Construction materials and techniques
The choice of construction materials and techniques is crucial for ensuring the longevity and performance of a toilet. The materials should be locally available, affordable, and suitable for the climate and soil conditions. For example, concrete, bricks, stones, tiles, metal sheets, bamboo, and plastic are some of the common materials used for building toilets in rural areas. However, not all of them are equally resistant to water damage or insect infestation. Therefore, it is important to select the appropriate materials and apply proper techniques such as waterproofing, reinforcement, sealing, and coating to protect them from deterioration.
Drainage systems and waterproofing measures
Another important factor is the design and installation of drainage systems and waterproofing measures for the toilet. The drainage system should be able to divert excess water away from the toilet structure and prevent it from entering or stagnating inside the toilet. This can be achieved by using pipes, gutters, channels, slopes, or pits to collect and dispose of rainwater and wastewater. Additionally, waterproofing measures such as membranes, liners, coatings, or sealants should be applied to the walls, floors, roofs, and joints of the toilet to prevent water infiltration or leakage.
Ventilation and odour control
If the toilet doesn’t have adequate ventilation and odour control, it won’t be used. It’s as simple as that. So, this means that the toilet should allow fresh air circulation and remove foul smells from the toilet. Some of the factors that affect the ventilation and odour control of a toilet are:
- Size and location of the openings (such as windows, doors, vents)
- Height and shape of the roof or ceiling
- Type and orientation of ventilation pipes and stacks
- The use of fans or filters to enhance air flow or remove odours
Infrastructure aside, how we use the toilet also makes a huge difference in the long run. Communities that treat the toilet as their own, and take care to use it in a way that is respectful and considerate will see more usage and longevity of the toilet.
Promoting Education and Awareness
Ensuring that toilets are used and maintained properly by the community requires educating and raising awareness among the people about the importance of hygiene practices, toilet maintenance and usage, and the benefits of proper sanitation facilities.
Hygiene practices are essential for preventing diseases and infections that can spread through faecal contamination of water, food, and soil. Poor hygiene can also lead to skin problems, eye infections, worm infestations, and malnutrition. Therefore, it is important to teach the community about the basic hygiene practices such as washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet, keeping nails trimmed and clean, disposing of waste properly, and boiling or filtering drinking water. This is particularly important in those villages where we still don’t have last mile connectivity for electricity and piped water.
Toilet maintenance and usage are crucial for ensuring the durability and functionality of the monsoon-proof toilets. The community should be educated on how to use the toilets correctly, such as not throwing solid waste or menstrual products into the toilet, flushing with water after each use, and keeping the toilet seat and lid clean. The community should also be taught how to maintain the toilets, such as checking for leaks or cracks, repairing any damages, cleaning the septic tank or pit periodically, and disposing of the sludge safely. When designed well, these programs can actually create sustainable jobs in our villages.
In India, the GoI isn’t alone in this responsibility. Brands like Harpic, which is a leader in the lavatory care segment, have taken up the mantle of communicating the importance of toilet hygiene and its link to poor health and diseases. Over the years, Harpic has built strong communication strategies around the need for good toilet hygiene habits in particular, and sanitation overall.
In addition to creating programming and communications aimed at adults, Harpic has also partnered with Sesame Workshop India, an educational non-profit working for the early developmental needs of young children, to promote positive sanitation, hygiene knowledge and behaviours among children and families through schools and communities, engaging with 17.5 million children across India. It also pioneered a programme to raise awareness and reinforce healthy toilet and bathroom habits among young children, developing and recognising them as “Swachhta Champions”. These initiatives are a part of the larger umbrella campaign, Harpic Mission Swachhta and Paani, with News18.
Mission Swachhta aur Paani is a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. It is in its third year now, and has been instrumental in giving voice to numerous issues related to toilet hygiene and sanitation. Moreover, Mission Swachhta aur Paani also serves as a platform for stakeholders from various fields to come together in thought, word and action, through on ground events, telethons, panel discussions and others.
Through Mission Swachhta aur Paani, Harpic and News18 are advancing the cause not just of toilet access, but of human dignity. For it is only when we create a society that looks after the needs of every one of us, that we create a society that grows and prospers.
Join us here, to learn how you can contribute to this national transformation.
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