Mysuru:  Of all public building spaces, the quality of toilets typically generates the most complaints as most of the people expect a comfortable restroom experience. Considering the importance of a clean public toilet, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is coming up with internet-enabled toilets that will transform the way washrooms are built, maintained and managed.

These toilets will have Wi-Fi connectivity and will have water conservation measures including rainwater harvesting and recycling of waste water. The MCC plans to build two such toilets, one opposite Sub-Urban Bus Stand near the car parking area and one more at Gandhi Square, opposite Town Hall. Rs. 38 lakh has been earmarked for one such hi-tech toilet.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, MCC Health Officer Dr. D.G. Nagaraju said that the project aims at creating an ecosystem for a simplified and sustainable approach to sanitation in cities. The project will be implemented by Union Ministry of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), a premier research institute under MoHUA, at three places in India – Mysuru, Udaipur in Rajasthan and Faridabad in Haryana. The two toilets will come up in Mysuru on a pilot basis, under WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) scheme.

The toilets will be built under IHUWASH (Innovation Hub for Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Solutions), a sustainable toilet project and will be completed by the end of this year. It will be built under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model and the tender process is underway.

Pay-and-use

These toilets will ensure water conservation by using minimum water and will have rainwater harvesting and recycling system for waste water. It will be one of the most advanced toilets of international standards and there will be a fee to use them, he added. There will be a provision of pay-and-get sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerator for disposal.

Mysuru has been chosen along with Faridabad and Udaipur as the city has excelled in maintaining cleanliness over the years, Nagaraju said. These toilets will be equipped with censors with automated facilities. There will be separate rest rooms for men and women and lactating mothers will be provided with a separate feeding room facility, the Health Officer said.

“The purpose of the smart toilet is to provide innovative solutions that not only provide basic sanitation facility, but also encourage people to use toilet, and therefore prevent urination in public places,” he added.

Smart features

Some of the key smart features that such toilets have are, cleanliness and hygiene maintenance by controlled automatic flushing operations, conservation of water through automated systems, energy saving through urinals, solar panels, LED lights, etc.

The toilets are inclusive to needs of women, children with emphasis on safety and user-friendly for differently abled people. It has the durability with innovative construction material and advanced CCTV surveillance system to prevent theft and vandalism.

NIE technology

The National Institute of Engineering (NIE) has developed the technology while the MCC is the implementing agency along with NIUA. The NIE has set up the WASH innovation lab funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).