Dr. Nidhi Pasi Research Coordinator, WaterAid India An assessment of fecal sludge management policies, programs, and practices in Tamil Nadu Dr. Nidhi Pasi Research Coordinator, WaterAid India

Study Objectives To document and assess the existing Fecal Sludge Management practices of 10 Town Panchayats and 10 municipalities from 10 districts of Tamil Nadu To create a comprehensive quantitative data base on FSM for 10 small towns and 10 Municipalities from 10 districts of Tamil Nadu To conduct a desk review of the urban WASH policies at the national level to understand the dynamics between central and 6 state (Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) programmes

Methodology and Process Preparation of Tool and its translation Tool Testing Sampling and finalizing the target area Capacity Building for field researchers Allocation of study areas to WASHNET-TN members Field study and data collection in 10 Town Panchayat and 10 Municipalities Data quality review Data analysis Study Report Five types of schedule were developed to 1. collect relevant statistics on existing FSM, human resources, equipments and safety measures used 2. to understand the views and perception FSM from middle level management 3. to understand the views and perception of sanitary workers, 4. to understand the views, perception, of private service providers and 5.Community –user groups.

Coverage Area of the Study District Nilgiris Tiruppur / Coimbatore Namakkal / Erode Pudukottai Thanjavur / Nagapattinam Perambalur / Tiruchirapalli Tiruvarur Thiruvallur / Kanchipuram Tirunelveli / Tiruppur Kanyakumari /Thoothukudi Municipality Gudalur Pollachi Thiruchengodu Pudukottai Mayavaram Perambalur Mannarkudi Thiruvallur SankaranKoil Nagercoil Town Panchayat Kothagiri Avinasi Perundurai Keeranoor Tharangampadi Manachanallur Needamangalam Mamallapuram Kunnathur Alwarthirunagari

48% of urban households depend on onsite facilities Census (2011) details shows that only third (32.7%) of total urban households are connected with UGSS and septic tank (38%) is most prominent across India. 18.6% (very high) of urban HH- no access to IHHL. From this 6%- community toilets; 12.6% OD Onsite pit latrines and septic tanks-account for substantial proportion of toilets in urban india---- 48% of urban HH depend on onsite facilties On the one hand, conventional sewage treatment facilities that could potentially treat septage are severely limited. On the other hand, on-site septage treatment facilities are also often inadequate: though toilets may have been widely provided for in cities, far less attention has been placed on the management and proper disposal of septage from septic tanks and pit latrines. 48% of urban households depend on onsite facilities

Tamil Nadu 45.7% of the HHs in the state practice OD 35.7% of the urban HHs practice OD- highest for India Two strategies adopted in the urban sanitation sector Under Ground Sewerage System (UGSS) scheme for all towns Total elimination of OD by 2015 Operative Guidelines for Septage Management for Local Bodies of Tamil Nadu- released in 2014 septemner

Key Findings Domestic Water requirement: Municipality ranges between 3.9 MLD to 9.6 MLD and for Town Panchayat between 0.7 MLD to 2.5 MLD Water supply: 88% and 85% of domestic water requirement of the Municipality and TP met respectively by the urban local bodies   Wastewater Generation: 81% and 75% of total water consumed by Municipalites and TPs turned out waste water Fecal sludge: Of the total waste water, 21% from Municipality and 19% from TPs Type of Sanitation Facilities Corporation need to supply 135 LPCD TP – 90 LPCD Municipal piped TP is partially piped

Key Findings From Town Panchayats Response from TP Management Septage Collection Vehicle and Safety equipments: None of the TPs have septage collection vehicles while only a few Municipalities have. Lack of an underground sewerage system & Septic tank - mostly used septage collection Major problems with collection system: (Leakage and overflow which pollutes water bodies; Poor design which blocks proper clearing and Lack of protection from poisonous gas formation during clearance) Lack of adequate equipment for desludging and no safety measures used Infrequent desludging of septic tanks at household level (10-20 years); Non adherence to the operative guidelines of septage collection No STPs in TP level and lack of clarity at the TP level on their role in FSM Lack of awareness among public on desludging septic tank in regular intervals Role of Private Service providers Private service providers play a crucial role in FSM across all TPs No uniform pattern exists in case of cost for emptying septage & Cost for emptying fixed per trip based on septic tank size, distance and quantity collected. Use of modern equipment by private players but they lack formal training in desludging and none of them reported of treating sludge before disposal. Multiple sites– ‘outskirts’ and ‘agricultural land’ and ‘panchayat disposal yard’ are the commonly reported places for FS disposal. Private service providers request Govt .to allot land or dumping yard for FS ; land and vehicles (with subsidy); licensing and regulation of the same and need for generating public awareness.

Key Findings From Municipalities Response from Municipalities Management None of the Municipalities have full fledged UGSS while three have partial coverage. Septic tank mostly used for septage collection and around one-tenth use public toilet. Municipalities have relatively better equipped with septage collection vehicle and safety equipments as compared to TPs. Major problems with collection system: (poor construction, leakage and overflow which pollutes water bodies; Poor design which blocks proper clearing and lack of protection from poisonous gas during emptying) Infrequent desludging of septic tanks at household level (2-10 years); Non-adherence to the operative guidelines of septage collection Except two municipalities (Mannarkudi & Thiruvallur), FS dumped in agriculture field, outskirt and municipal dump yard in all municipalities Lack of awareness among public on desludging septic tanks in regular intervals and maintenance of septic tank to prevent social and environmental problems Role of Private Service providers Private service providers play a crucial role in FSM in six municipalities No uniform pattern exists in case of cost for emptying septage & Cost for emptying fixed per trip based on septic tank size, distance and quantity collected. Use of advanced equipment by private players but they lack formal training in desludging and one-third of them reported of treating sludge before disposal. Multiple sites– ‘outskirts’ and ‘agricultural land’ and ‘municipal disposal yard’ are the commonly reported places for FS disposal. Private service providers expect government to allot land or dumping yard for FS; land and vehicles (with subsidy); licensing and regulation of the same and need for generating public awareness.

Key Findings Findings on Community Response: Most of the community groups from TPs and Municipalities preferred to use services from private service providers while a few reported of using the services from manual scavengers Lack of awareness among the community on frequency of desludging of septic tanks Overflow of septic tanks during monsoon is the most common problem Community groups are aware of health, social and environmental impact due to poor FSM. Impact of Poor FSM on Water and Health Regarding the water quality, Of the 14 districts covered under the study except two districts (Nagappattinam and Tiruvarur), ground water of 12 districts found to have high nitrate content. Presence of fecal coliform in river water sources in the water sample from majority of the districts covered under study. However, statistics shows that deaths due to waterborne diseases such as Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD) and Cholera have been coming down drastically.

Key challenges to FSM in India Lack of adequate and effective policy framework Poor management of urban sanitation Preference to centralized engineering solutions On-site sanitation not accorded priority Institutional and legislative challenges Lack of funds for capital investment and O&M

Recommendations Comprehensive national guidelines for Faecal Sludge Management stipulating a regulatory and monitoring framework should be prepared and finalised by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) with stakeholder participation and disseminated to all the states. Provisions should be made to integrate FSM into City Sanitation Plans and City Development Plans. Training and exposure to good practices in FSM should be provided to policymakers and stakeholders. Sewage/ Septage treatment facilities should be constructed. The use of Bio solid manure in agriculture should be encouraged. Private Sector Participation in FSM should be promoted by incentivising. FSM awareness campaigns and communication should be developed and delivered for enhanced participation by citizens. Local research institutions should be engaged to develop innovative and cost effective solutions for different aspects of FSM. In conclusion, the study offers the following recommendations in the hope that these could prove instrumental in improving the Faecal Sludge Management scenario in India:

Acknowledgements Communities and Officials from across the 10 Municipalities and 10 Town Panchayats Team members of ExNoRa and WASHNET-TN: WaterAid India partners in Tamil Nadu Praxis Institute for Participatory Practices WaterAid staff: Remi Kaupp, Arjen Naafs, Puneet Srivastava, and George Vergese Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: for financing and supporting the study Praxis for work done in developing the research framework, research tools, data analysis and report finalization.

Solution lies beyond building toilets To Conclude Solution lies beyond building toilets Building Toilets Solution remains in scaling up the value chain Emptying & Transport Treatment Reuse Collection Storage