The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Ecological management of human excreta and urine would not only help keep the environment clean and the people safe from many diseases but also meet the entire need of fertiliser for agriculture, a workshop on water supply and ecological sanitation was told in Dhaka yesterday.

The workshop, organised by the Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) in observance of the World Water Day 2008, at the LGED auditorium, was attended by leading water experts and representatives of government, non-governmenal organisations and international agencies involved in the water sanitation sector.

Prof. Mujibur Rahman of civil engineering, BUET, and Reba Paul, executive secretary, BWP, presented two papers at the workshop held with BWP president Quamrul Islam Siddique. Paul Edward, chair of water, environment and sanitation division of Unicef and chair of the local consultative group on water supply and sanitation was the chief guest at the function while BWP leaders Muhammad Zamir, Prof. M Maniruzzaman Miah, Prof. M Firoze Ahmed of BUET, K Minnatullah of the World Bank, Dr Kh Azharul Haq, Mustafizur Rahman, chief engineer, Public Health Engineering and SMA Rashid of the NGO forum were special guests.

Prof. Mujibur Rahman gave a run down of the situation of water supply and its quality and the grim prospects in the face of climate change, and the scarcity of fertiliser and said that ecological sanitation would help address the problems to a great extent.

If properly stored and managed urine would meet the requirement of urea and phosphorus while excreta compost would fulfil the demand of other manure in agicultural fields. He said the entire demand for fertiliser worth about taka 500 crore could be met even if 25 per cent of the people of Bangladesh practiced ecological sanitation.

Reba Paul explained the technologies available for ecological sanitation and their costs. She said that commodes and panes for separation of urine and excreta and their storage in separate compartments would cost more, but that would be refunded in the form of fertiliser in ten years. People in some areas in China and India were using cheaper plastic-made panes, she said.

Paul Edward outlined the history of waste management in the city of London over the centuries and said at one point of time collection and use of organic wastes for agricultural purposes had turned into a profitable activity, as has been mentioned by the speakers at the workshop.

Prof. Firoze Ahmed cautioned against taking care of some problems that have been observed while practicing ecological sanitation. Otherwise, people might suffer due to lack of awareness, he said.

Prof. Maniruzzaman Miah also cautioned against making unguarded statements while talking about the advantages of ecological sanitation.

Others who spoke at the workshop said that ecological sanitation should be attempted by prescribing area and culture specific technologies for separation, storage and use of urine and excreta as fertiliser.