Training Programme on Tools and Approaches for Citywide Water and Sanitation Management

Part II: Non – Sewered Sanitation

Date: 23-26 April, 2019

Venue: AAETI, Nimli, Rajasthan 

The School of Water and Waste concluded the second part of its training on tools and approaches for citywide water and sanitation management, titled ‘Non – Sewered Sanitation’. Three focus areas were discussed – Shit Flow Diagrams (SFDs), Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM), and Decentralised Waste Water Systems (DWWTs). Our resource persons – Chhavi Sharda, Bhitush Luthra, Shantanu Padhi, Saakshi Joshi, and Yusuf Arsiwala, engaged the participants in interactive classroom sessions, brainstorming exercises, theme-based energisers, and group work using web-based portals and softwares for a hands-on experience. The training aimed at helping participants explore options to achieve inclusive citywide sanitation. Our cohort had an an overwhelming presence of government officials from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Gujarat, Bangladesh, and non - government stakeholders including architects and academic faculty from India and Nepal.

The programme on Non – Sewered Sanitation began with an overview of the existing sanitation scenario and tools and approaches in practice. This was followed by an interactive discussion on what a City Sanitation Plan (CSP) is, why we need it, and what are the steps required to prepare one. This led to a conversation on CSE’s web-based tool SANI-KIT which is a one-stop database for tools and guidelines to prepare a CSP. After an introduction to existing sanitation issues and possible alternates, participants devoted their efforts in understanding and creating Shit Flow Diagrams (SFDs). This advocacy tool has helped 84 cities in understanding the improvements required across their sanitation chains.

Day 2 began with understanding the characteristics of faecal sludge, septage, and wastewater, what factors influence these characteristics, and why we need to consider all these aspects when thinking of sanitation technologies. This session was followed by a discussion on the collection and conveyance aspects of the sanitation value chain. The remaining day introduced on-site sanitation systems, sewers for decentralised treatments at different scales, data collection for planning and designing a decentralised wastewater management project. The day ended with participants trying out CSE’s web-based MOUNT (Menu on Un-Networked Technologies), which is an aggregator platform for various sustainable technologies, encouraging and disseminating knowledge and good practices for wastewater management. 

Day 3 began with our external resource person, Yusuf Arsiwala, giving the participants an on-ground example of implementation through Rajokri’s constructed wetland case study. Mr. Arsiwala is a senior consultant with Delhi Jal Board for urban and landscape design. This example of a best practice within Delhi itself was followed by introducing the participants to Decentralised Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTs). The remainder of the training covered different aspects of planning, designing, costing, and operation and monitoring of a DWWTs. The final activity for the participants was to design a DWWTs. This exercise was a culmination of all the themes discussed in the previous days. On the final day, a jury including Gita Karvana, Director, AAETI, chose the best DWWTs based on three primary components – Reuse, Inclusivity, and Context based design.

Since the training had representation from several government departments, including Delhi Jal Board, Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, and Swachh Bharat Mission, we are expecting further queries, associations, and capacity building trainings for officials on non-sewered sanitation.