Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is highly bent at improving public sanitation in India and to lend a helping hand to the movement, 183 self-cleaning public toilets – eToilets have been installed in Chennai. This is first time, smart toilets that can automatically clean themselves, are installed anywhere in India.
India doesn’t have much to boast off when it comes to public sanitation. If you follow, there is still a large population of rural India that prefers to defecate in open. Prime Minister Modi led BJP-NDA government may be highly vocal about successfully building about 89 lakh toilets in rural India in a year, but the reality of how many people use them is far from pleasing.
India still has world’s largest population of people defecating in the open(approximately 595 million people); for reference, 65,000 tones of faeces is delivered into the environment every day in the country.
The newly installed eToilets in Chennai are designed to automatically clean before a user’s entry and after exit. Each smart toilet occupies 35 square feet area and is equipped with sensors which autonomously switch on/off the exhaust fans, lights and flush to consume less energy and water.
To save water, the toilets flush only 1.5 litres of water after 3 minutes of use. If the user has occupied the seat for a longer time, the flush dispenses 4.5 litres. Additionally, the eToilet floors are washed automatically after five or ten people have visited.
To make the toilets really smart, these come with a dedicated Android app by Eram Scientific Solution. The application is called eToilet and can be used by residents to locate, rate, and provide feedback on the toilets. Additionally, another administrator application allows Greater Chennai Corporation officials to maintain a check on the health of the toilet – keeping tab on water availability, cleanliness et al.
The eco-friendly, self-cleaning eToilets cost Rs 4,50,000 ($6,630) each, and are free to use. One of the smart toilets – e-Lite 14, is solar-powered so this one even eliminates the need for electricity.