2. Community Based Decentralized Wastewater Management :
A Demonstration Project for providing Strategic support to Pro-Poor WATSAN Initiative.
It is an Integrated Urban Waste Water Management project for Environment and livelihood improvement in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. |
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| Project Area |
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Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, located in the Kathmandu Valley, got the status of Municipality in 1996 by merging five adjoining villages. Out of five, three villages were settled during 12th century and carry historical importance. These old settlements are still untouched by the urban growth in the peripheral areas. The Municipality covers an area of 11.11 km2 out of which 20% is residential area and 70% is agricultural and vacant land. |
The total population of this Municipality is 48,000. It is surrounded by three rivers which are the tributaries of River Bagmati, the main river of Kathmandu Valley. Since, the settlement is on an elevant land, sewer from the town is discharged into streams and rivers along the periphery where most of the agricultural land is situated.
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| Rationale |
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As a rusult of sewer discharge from the settlement, almost all the rivers and streams in the Municipality are highly polluted. The river exceeds 100 to 200 mg/L of Biochemical Oxygen Deman (BOD) which is equivalent to weak to medium strength of domestic sewer. Similarly, fecal coliform count is as high as 2.2 * 108 col/100 ml exceeding the FAQ irrigation standard for vegetables (1000 col/100 ml). |
Therefore, irrigation of agricultural fields with this water can have adverse health risks to farmers and consumers and also could lead to over fertilization. Studies have shown high incidence of skin problems and infestation of intestinal parasites among farmers and may have risks to consumers. Public health risk among the urban dwellers is another concern since this area is the major procedure of green vegetables in the Valley.
Due to the above facts, ENPHO a national non-government organisation specialized in water and sanitation sector developed an innovative project on sanitation improvement in support of Asian Development Bank, UN-HABITAT and Water Aid-Nepal. The aim of the project is to develop a community-based integrated urban wastewater management project to improve the sanitation situation, improve the water quality of the rivers and streams and to provide an income generating opportunity for the poor.
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| The Approach |
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Project implementatioin approach will be very new for the country as the system is designed by local expers and will be built by local people under supervision of local user’s committee. The project has following major components viz. construction of low cost community managed Reed Bed Treatment System (RBTS) for wastewater treatment |
and distribution of Ecological Sanitation toilets for poor and disadvantage households, establishment of a house of demonstration of water optimization techniques and public awareness on water, sanitation, health and hygiene.
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| Programme Components |
The systems are designed by local experts, and will be built by local people under supervision of local users’ committee. The project has following major components viz.
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Construction of low cost community managed reed bed type wastewater treatment system
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Distribution of Ecological Sanitation toilets for poor and disadvantaged household
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Establishment of a demonstration house on water optimization techniques
public awareness on water, sanitation, health and hygiene.
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| Project Activities / Outputs |
Poor and diadvantage community, school children and farmers will get direct benefit from this project: The wastewater treatment site is situated in the middle of a poor and disadvantage settlement with a primary school and a school for disabled children. At present the surrounding environment is unhealthy due to dumping of solid waste, open defecation and draining of open sewer. The site will be more clean and attractive after completion of RBTS as it establishes green environment, wastewater drain will not be visible and
dumping of solid waste will be stopped.
River quality will be improved : Effluent form the treatment plant into the receiving water bodies will minimize the risk of the poor farmers who use wastewater for irrigation and also risk will be minimized at the consumer’s level.
Poor farmers and families will have access to sanitation: Several ECOSAN toilets will be built for poor farmers and families in the Municipality. In addition to having access to sanitation facility, these families will also benefit from reusing the sanitized human excreta as a fertilizer in their farm.Co-compositing of household waste with urine can also produce better quality of compost. Thus, the user will enjoy economic benefit by replacing
chemical fertilizers and by selling better quality compost.
Project cost will be reduced: The project cose will be significantly reduced in comparison to other similar projects due to the approach followed by this project. Therefore it will be a demonstration site for low cost sanitary practice for other small towns in the country.
Water optimization techniques will be demonstrated: A demonstration site will be established which will serve as a hands on learning center on various water optimization options like rainwater harvesting, wastewater recycling and ecological sanitation system.
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| Programme Beneficiaries |
More than 7000 people including those living in poor and disadvantaged community, disabled school children and farmers will get direct benefit with access to improved sanitation system, improved environment and river water quality.
The nation will benefit by knowing these technologies and by implementing this approach for similar projects in other parts of the country.
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Addressing WATSAN Issues