Document downloaded from: http://rural.nic.in/attachments/salem.doc (Ministry of Rural Development.) - [13.04.2010] From To Tmt. G.Rajam,M.Sc,M.Phil, Tmt. Asha Swarup,I.A.S., Project Officer, Joint Secretary, (SGSY), District Rural Dev.Agency, Ministry of Rural Development, Salem, Tamilnadu. Government of India, New Delhi 9.

Roc.No. 4305/ 2003 /A4 Date: 3.10.2003. Sir,

Sub : Rural Development - Conference of Project Directors / CEOs of DRDAs on 10.10.2003 at New Delhi - Selected and Permitted to participate - submission of Success story on Individual household toilets linked Biogas plants - reg.

Ref: 1) The Joint Secretary to Govt. of India D.O.Lr.No.20015/9/2003-

SGSY-1, Dated.31.7.2003.

2) Director of Rural Development, Chennai, Tamilnadu, D.O.Lr.No.66032/2003/SGSY 1-3 , Dated.30.9.2003.

***** I submit herewith a paper on success story of Individual Household Toilets

linked Biogas plants as called for in the reference cited. I shall submit the detailed paper

during the conference of Project Directors / CEOs of DRDAs on the scheduled dates at New

Delhi.

Sd/- G.Rajam. Project Officer, DRDA., Salem.

Individual Household Toilets Linked Biogas Plants

A Success Story in Salem District Back Ground “Sanitation” has always been a challenging term in the human life, right from the age

of civilization to the modern electronic era. Sanitation is a broader term and includes disposal

of human waste, liquid waste, solid waste, control of vector diseases, domestic and personal

hygiene, food sanitation etc,. Human excreta and its disposal is one of the bemoan in the

modern times since it causes many enteric diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid,

infectious hepatitis, hookworm and diarrhea. Studies reveal that over 50 infectious diseases

are transmitted through human excreta. In rural areas nearly 80% of the diseases are human

excreta borne. Hence safe disposal of human waste is most important for improving the

public health and economic growth.

Toilet linked Biogas Plants

In developed countries the standard solution for the sanitary disposal of human waste

is water borne sewerage. Due to severe financial constraints and exorbitant cost, this is not an

answer and supplement to the human waste management in India particularly in rural life.

Septic tank is beyond the reach of common rural masses as its cost is high. Since drinking

water is always in shortages to the requirements, it is also pertinent to conserve water in day

today life. Septic tank has other problems like periodic cleaning and disposal of sludge. Due

to high cost and other limitations like availability of space it has not received wider

acceptance. The mechanical devices available for emptying the tanks is an over burden in

terms of cost factor and alternative manual engagement of scavengers is unsocial and it is

banned by the Government. The undigested human waste with water are also hazardous to

public health and causes environmental pollution. Recycling and reuse of human excreta for

biogas generation is an important way to get rid of these health hazards.

Economic Viability

Biogas is a promising non-conventional energy and it is a better energy from polluting

waste, clean and efficient, eco friendly, money saver, time saver, minimizes expenditure on

the foreign exchanges on the import of fossil fuels apart from producing enriched bio-manure

as bye product for increasing productivity and soil conservation.

Cost Analysis

Size of Plant

Quantity of cow dung required (Kgs)

No. of cattle required

No. of persons food can be

cooked

Estimate cost of Denabandhu

Model 1 25 2 – 3 3 – 4 7,100/-

2 50 4 – 6 5 – 8 9,500/-

3 75 7 – 9 9 – 12 11,300/-

4 100 10 – 12 13 – 17 13,800/-

6 150 12 – 20 18 - 25 18,200/- Gas production from different feed materials

Material Quantity of dung produced / head

Gas production / Kg. Gas production

Cowdung 10 Kg 0.036 Cum. 0.36 Cum (Per Animal)

Night Soil 0.4 Kg 0.070 Cum. 0.28 Cum (Per person)

Cost benefit Analysis

For a family of 5 persons per annum.

Sl. No Particulars

Money measurement

value (Rs)

Non-monetary value

1 Electricity charges (lighting) 750/- -- 2 Fuel charges (LPG) 3000/- -- 3 Value of bio-manure produced 1000/- --

Man hour savings (Rs. 54 for 8 hrs) a). Cooking (3 hours / day) 7117/- --

4 b). Collection of fire wood (1/2 hour per day) 1228/- --

5 Health incremental value -- Infinity 6 Environmental preservation -- Infinity 7 Family bondage -- Infinity 8 Value of water conserved 1000/- 9 Foreign exchange savings 900/- --

10 Savings in construction of septic tank 7000/- --

11 Maintenance of septic tank 400/- -- 12 Subsidy from Government 3300 -- Total 25695/- Infinity

Expenditure / Maintenance Cost.

Investment cost at depreciable value : Rs. 475/- per year

(Rs. 9500 / 20 years)

Maintenance cost of plant : Rs. 100/-

Interest on investment : Rs. 855/-

Cost of Man hour in feeding : Rs. 640/-

Toal : Rs. 2070/-

Net savings / annum / family : Rs. 23,625/- + Infinity value on health and

environmental values.

Experience of Sunda Mettur hamlet of A.Pudur Panchayat in Mac Donald Choultry

Block in Salem District a case study.

The Salem is a hilly surrounded District in Tamil Nadu State with 385 village

panchayats, 20 Panchayat Unions, 34 Town Panchayats, 3 Municipalities and one Municipal

Corporation. The area of Salem District is 5089.30 Sq.Kms. The population of the District is

29,92,754 of which 16,05,726 (54 %) are living in the rural areas. Agriculture is the

predominant occupation of these people and 3,60,061 ie 35 % of working population entirely

depend on agriculture. Sunda Mettur is a tiny hamlet of this District having a population of

400 nos and 80 households.

Thiru Ramu S/o Muthusamy is one of the inhabitant of this area. He is running a

bicycle workshop in that area and earning Rs. 3000/- per month. He is also holding 2 acres

agriculture land out of which is getting a net annual income of Rs. 6000/-. He is married and

having 2 school going children. Including his parents totally there are 6 persons in his family.

He is also owning 2 cattle. Ramu’s wife was pestering him for a LPG cylinder over a period

of 3 years. She was using only the county made fire wood stoves and was spending a

minimum of three hours a day in the cooking chores amidst the smoky kitchen. Day by day

with deteriorating health she couldn’t attend her children needs and also their studies. The

whole family was also adopting the open air defecation and following un-hygienic means of

livelihood. The bondage between the family members was also sounded lesser day by day

and Thru. Ramu was worrying to overcome the hurdle in solving this puzzle. A publicity on

the toilet linked biogas plant in the Grama Sabha meeting by the Extension Officer of the

Block brought a new light into their family. Having reached the concept of the scheme, the

conventional psychological barrier of the locality kept Ramu away in taking up the project.

Understanding the intuitional interest of Thiru. Ramu, the repeated efforts of the official

broke the conventional barriers and his quest for finance. The cost of savings on fuel,

drudgery, health and hygiene point of view and the resultant manurial value of the excreta

brought him close to the project. The cost benefit analysis of the net savings of Rs. 23625/-

per annum and the financial assistance by a nationalized bank broke all the ice and finally

flagged green by Ramu. Within a period of 7 days financial assistance of Rs. 13,800/- as net

loan from Alahabad Bank , Mac Donald Choultry and Rs. 2800/- by way of Government

subsidy including of Rs. 500/- for toilet linked biogas, was given to the beneficiary Thiru.

Ramu for the construction of 4 Cubic Meter Dhenabandhu model biogas plant. The plant was

constructed by trained masons and commissioned in a months time. After this construction

Ramu’s family is feeling very happy. Freed from smokes, the black soot coated vessels

Ramu’s wife now reserves the saved time in cooking, for attending her children needs and the

rest of time in sharing her husband’s duty.

Finale of the Project Ramu’s toilet linked biogas plant, his family socio-economic improvement has

created mass strides in the local minds and has broken away all the psychological and

conventional reservations. Now the local inhabitants of that area are realizing the importance

of hygiene and the ecological and environmental values. The approach of district

administration with Ramu and his participation in Government seminars on his successful

transverse in this project has brought a mass appeal and more number of beneficiaries are

coming up in taking up this novel toilet linked biogas plants.

Strategy for future.

At present there are 7823 biogas plants functioning in Salem District. The toilet linked

biogas plants has gained public acceptance in this District from 1995 onwards. At present

there are 10 plants of this type out of which 4 were constructed during the previous financial

year. The advent of SHGs are a catalystic boon in taking of the scheme to larger masses.

There are as many more 5000 SHGs in this District and the 199 Integrated Women Sanitary

Complexes already constructed have been taken possession for functioning by the SHGs.

Hence the SHGs are the main targeted coverages during the current financial year.

A convergent plan of action has also been drawn to cover up a minimum of 70 IAY

beneficiaries for these type of plants increasing their cattle strength through assistance under

SGSY. The Government of Tamil Nadu has also given patronage to install at least 1000 toilet

linked biogas plants during the current financial year 2003-2004 as announced by the

Honourable Chief Minister. As the most important factor for successful functioning of these

plants is temperature, it absolutely suits to Salem District as it is located in tropical

climate of 35o to 40 o C.

******

Ramu the beneficiary

A view of the Toilet linked Biogas Plant

The view of the Sanitary Toilet linked to the Plant

Documentation of the Success Story

Ramu’s wife assisting him in the free time.