Coimbatore :

A toilet that can be set up in less than an hour was launched by Pune-based company, Sahyadri Industries Limited, in the city on Friday morning. The eco-friendly toilet has been created as part of the company’s contribution to the Swachh Bharat effort.

The company demonstrated setting up a toilet at Heritage Inn’s conference hall in one hour to prove their point just before the launch. A recent study done by the Ministry of Human Resource Development found that 15% of the government schools in the city lack toilets, and among those which did have toilet facilities, 57% were found to be dysfunctional.

Sahyadri Industries, a manufacturer of fibre cement corrugated and flat sheets, had been toying with the idea of designing an easy to set up pre-fabricated toilet since 2012-13. “However, the project did not take off,” admitted M Sathyanarayana, of Sahyadri Industries.

“We were inspired to restart our efforts last August when the Prime Minister announced the Swachh Bharat initiative. We then sped up the research and designing of this model,” he said. The toilets, sold as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) kits, contain parts to set up three wall panels and a door made of fly-ash and cement. The knots and bolts required to assemble the toilets are provided, so are toilet fittings from reputed companies like Johnson and Johnson. “We also give instructions on how a soaking pit has to be dug up,” said Suresh Kumar, head, sales and marketing in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This toilet can be set up anywhere in less than an hour and can be used immediately.

These toilets which come in 4ft x 4 ft dimensions can last 15 to 20 years if maintained well, says the company. They cost anywhere between 19,000 and 30,000 each. “The cost depends on the materials and specifications requested,” said Kumar. “However, we sell it at the lower cost for government schools and other economically backward schools,” he added.

The main clientele for these toilets seem to be NGOs, who are setting up toilets wherever necessary. “We have sold 1,000 such toilets in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” said Kumar. The product was launched in Gujarat Maharashtra and Karnataka in December, and in Chennai on Thursday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / January 24th, 2015