Jairam Ramesh and (above) Srikant Jena

Balasore, June 24: Odisha has become the first state in the country to have bio–toilets, a cost-effective solution to the problem of open defecation in rural areas that threatens water sources.

The bio- toilets, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), were installed at Dhamara in Bhadrak today.

Union minister of chemical and fertilisers Srikant Jena inaugurated the unique toilets in the presence of Union minister for rural development and drinking water and sanitation Jairam Ramesh.

Inaugurating the project, Jena said: “The toilets would be installed in 1,000 panchayats across the country in a phased manner. Most of the country’s rural population do not have access to a toilet .The pilot project will begin with the districts of Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Bhadrak, which can later be replicated in other regions of Odisha and the entire country.”

Six twin bio-digester toilets (one each for male and female) were installed in the 90-km stretch of Jhamjhadi-Dhamara here today. On the occasion Ramesh said: “After Agni missile, the bio-toilet is a major contribution of the DRDO to the country.”

The technology used to make the toilet is also being used for decomposing the biological waste generated by soldiers deployed in high-altitude areas such as Siachen and Ladakh. This is its first implementation for civilians.

V.K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to defence minister and defence research and development secretary, said: “A sea change in the quality of life in rural pockets can be brought in by this project. Though DRDO has been developing technologies required for national security, it has also found solution to the problem of the common man through this innovation.”

S. Radhakrishnan, director of industry interface and technology management at the DRDO, said the bio-toilets can save billions of dollars in the government’s waste management endeavours.

Of the 2.4 lakh gram panchayats in the country, only 28,000 have proper sanitation facilities. The scenario is the worst in Odisha where just two per cent of gram panchayats have proper sanitation facilities.