101 पटक हेरिएको Kathmandu: More than 300 people have visited the faecal sludge treatment plant located in Ward No. 8 of Mahalaxmi Municipality. Records at the treatment plant reflected that over 300 people have visited and studied the plant since last October till date. The visitors include university professors, sanitation researchers, engineering students, and representatives from various municipalities implementing safe sanitation practices.
According to caretaker Surya Ghimire, the number of national and foreign visitors visiting the treatment center is almost equal. As per the records, the center has been visited by foreign nationals who attended the Global Sanitation Summit, officials from the diplomatic missions of partner countries in Nepal’s sanitation sector, representatives from Nilkantha Municipality of Dhading, Waling Municipality of Syangja, Khwopa Engineering College of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu University, and organizations such as Research for Environment and Energy.
These figures confirm that Mahalaxmi Municipality is emerging as a center for sanitation tourism. Engineer Rabindra Upreti, head of the Environment and Sanitation Division at Mahalaxmi Municipality, states not only the faecal sludge treatment plant but the entire municipality is evolving as a sanitation tourism hub. According to him, Mahalaxmi Municipality has implemented the City-wide Inclusive Sanitation approach and is promoting inclusive sanitation.
Er. Upreti further states, “We have been adopting several measures to provide safe sanitation access to all residents in the municipality. Since these practices act as valuable learning examples for other regions, individuals from both within the country and beyond border visit our municipality”.
Faecal Sludge Management Regulation
Mahalaxmi Municipality has formulated its own regulation for faecal sludge management. Approved by the municipal assembly on Falgun 28, 2076 (March 11, 2020), and implemented throughout the municipality, this regulation has been the inception of the sanitation governance for the municipality. The progress in city-wide inclusive sanitation that Mahalakshmi Municipality has achieved today is a result of adhering to this regulation.
Er. Upreti adds, ” Whether it is the sanitation sector or any other field, the first and foremost requirement is clear policies and regulations. The destination can only be reached more easily when the guidelines on what to do and what to avoid are clearly defined. Hence, laws serve as the most essential starting point.”
According to the faecal sludge management regulation, household owners seeking to build new structures will not receive building permits unless a separate toilet and soak pit are included in the building’s blueprint. Municipal engineers are regularly deployed to monitor whether septic tanks and soak pits are constructed as specified in the blueprint. If the structure is not built as per the design, household owners will not receive a certificate of completion for their building. Upreti noted that this provision is clearly mentioned in both the building construction code and the faecal sludge management regulation, making enforcement straightforward.
According to him, the size of the septic tank based on the number of family members and the quality standards for septic tanks, has been clearly specified in the regulation. “We have developed a manual for standard septic tank manuals and also conducted orientation programs for consultants who design houses, masons who construct the houses, and household owners. Initially, it was quite challenging to implement the regulation, but once the system was established, it became manageable”, he shared.
Visitors who come for observation and study frequently ask about this, to which the example of implementation of regulation is shared as an example which led to the construction of standard septic tanks mandatory.
He also explained that building standard septic tanks prevents underground water contamination due to seepage and protects public health. The regulation also states that once the septic tank is full, it should be transported safely, taken to the treatment plant, and processed safely. Only after ensuring that the produced fertilizer and effluent are safe should they be reused or disposed of.
Regulation through Integrated Information System
Mahalaxmi Municipality has already implemented an electronic building permit system (EBPS), which eliminates the need to visit the office frequently for building permits. This system has been linked with the Integrated Municipal Information System (IMIS), allowing additional data to be viewed and analyzed. Er. Upreti stated, “All data related to sanitation are now available in the IMIS system. How many standard septic tanks have been constructed? Where are these tanks located? All details are stored in the IMIS software. A mobile app has also been added to the IMIS software, enabling real-time updates on septic tanks from the field. The certificate of completion for a house is only issued if a constructed septic tank is confirmed during field inspections.”
Since all sanitation-related data is available in one place within the IMIS, it is equally effective for planning sanitation projects. “When all data, from standard septic tanks to faecal sludge treatment plants, is in one place, it helps in the development of future plans,” said Upreti. “Based on how many standard septic tanks have been constructed, we can determine how many faecal sludge treatment centers are needed and what capacity they should have,” he added.
Mahalaxmi Municipality has designated Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for connection to the sewer system, while Wards 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are allocated for the treatment and management of faecal sludge.
Waling Becoming a Learning Center for Sanitation
The Waling Municipality’s sanitation resource center in Syangja is evolving into a national learning hub. Within a single sanitation resource center, one can observe the faecal sludge treatment plant, waste segregation, and the production and sale of compost fertilizer.
Embracing the smart city concept, Waling Municipality has turned waste management into a source of income, attracting the interest of various municipalities and organizations in the waste management field, along with drawing them for study visits.
Since the fiscal year 2071/072 (2014/15), the municipality has been managing waste, and so far, more than 500 different organizations, including municipalities and rural municipalities as well as organizations involved in waste management, have conducted study and observation visits.
Waling Municipality Mayor Krishna Khand shared that groups and organizations visiting for study and observation on waste management are guided to the sanitation resource center, where they can observe processes and learn about the municipality’s accomplishments in the sector. According to him, the sanitation sub-committees formed in the wards located in the market area, within the municipality, have been helping in the segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at the household level using separate containers.
Mayor Khand stated that the municipality provides vehicles on a rotational schedule to collect and transport segregated waste from households. The collected waste is then brought to the sanitation resource center, where it undergoes further sorting. Reusable materials are either sold or distributed, while only a minimal amount of non-reusable waste is buried.
Municipalities that have visited Waling to learn and observe its waste management practices have also initiated some new practices in their own municipalities. Surendra Lamichhane, coordinator of the WASH Division of Changunarayan Municipality, mentioned that after observing Waling’s sanitation practices, Changunarayan Municipality has started constructing a faecal sludge treatment plant.
“Two years ago, we visited the sanitation resource center at Waling Municipality, with a team that included ward chairpersons, executive members, WASH facilitators, and colleagues working in waste management. We were impressed by their work, and as a result, we started waste segregation in Ward No. 2.” said Lamichhane.
Mayor Khand shared that, apart from the sanitation resource center being an educational hub, it also focuses on utilizing resources, generating income, and achieving integrated management, with the goal of becoming a national model. He further emphasized that when biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and other types of waste are mixed, they become unmanaged. However, by segregating and reusing the waste, it can be transformed into a valuable source of income.
On November 15, 2023, Waling Municipality was honored with the Asia Pacific Sanitation Excellence Award 2023, recognized as an outstanding municipality by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG-Asia Pacific) at a ceremony in Yiwu, China.
Faecal Sludge Management within the Resource Center
The municipality has established a faecal sludge management center within the sanitation resource center. While faecal sludge management is emerging as a growing challenge in urban areas, Waling is effectively tackling the challenge.
Mayor Khand explained that in the past, when septic tanks in households were full, the sludge was disposed of in open spaces, leading to the contamination of rivers and water sources. To tackle this problem, a faecal sludge treatment plant was built and is now operational.
“Septic tanks in homes function merely as storage containers for faecal sludge. Once they were full, the challenge was determining where to dispose of the sludge. However, now with a simple phone call to the municipality, a tanker arrives to empty the tank and transport the sludge to the treatment facility,” he explained.
The processed faecal sludge is converted into compost fertilizer and treated water, making it suitable for reuse.
“When you visit Waling’s sanitation resource center, you can observe all the stages of faecal sludge treatment, from storage, collection, emptying, transportation, to processing,” he added.
Mahalaxmi and Waling as Mentor Cities
Mahalaxmi Municipality in Lalitpur and Waling Municipality in Syangja have been recognized as mentor cities in the sanitation sector. These municipalities are successfully implementing Citywide Inclusive Sanitation approach and serving as models for other municipalities, both within Nepal and at international level, to learn and adopt best practices. According to Ash Kumar Khaitu, Program Manager at ENPHO, these two cities have been addressed as mentor cities to share their exemplary sanitation practices with others.
Conclusion:
Both Waling and Mahalaxmi municipalities, representing different geographical regions, are making remarkable strides in the field of sanitation. These municipalities have provided effective solutions to the challenges faced by many others, particularly in managing the faecal sludge accumulated in household septic tanks.
Mahalaxmi and Waling municipalities have demonstrated that nothing is impossible when there is a strong will to take action, through their exemplary work in waste management and sanitation. If all municipalities in the country follow the example set by these two, the nation can make significant progress in ensuring safe sanitation. The achievement of sustainable development goals and periodic targets related to faecal sludge, wastewater, and waste management can only be achieved with the proactive leadership of local governments.
