Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 31

The district administration has come up with electronic toilets at Braille Bhawan to help the visually impaired and physically challenged people.

These toilets are equipped with sensors that flush water automatically and the visually-impaired won’t have to grope for any button or knob for using these toilets now.

There is one unit for males, another for females and one larger unit for the physically challenged, which not only has a ramp, but long bars next to the commode for support.

“Not only are these toilets automated, but eco-friendly as well. The toilets have bio-digesters for waste treatment. The excreta are treated with bacteria and turns into manure. Even the water left after treatment can be used in gardens for watering plants, etc,” said an official from the company that installed the toilets.

“The bio digester has a membrane which filters away fluid and the solid waste is then treated. The bacteria in the bio-digester get activated when these come in contact with water and after treatment the waste can be used as manure. Even if it not used, it gets decomposed automatically,” he said.

Water also gets saved through this process. Around 4.5 litre water generally gets used in a toilet for flushing, but these toilets uses only 1.5 litre water. “There is no need for use of water in urinals as well. There is a mechanism where urine gets sucked into urinals without any need for water,” he said. The material used for making toilets is also bio-degradable, he said.

Speaking about the initiative, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said this was for the first time that such e-toilets have been set up in Punjab. “These will especially be helpful to the visually-impaired and physically-challenged students as these use sensor-based technology. These will be easier to use for them in addition to providing clean, hygienic and odourless toilets to them,” he said.

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/e-toilets-come-up-at-braille-b...