Ferro cement toilets are cost effective and extremely functional in rural areas.

Ferro Cement toilet constructed by SEVAI in Thottiyapatty

Ferro cement toilets are cost effective and extremely functional in rural areas.SEVAI has been working in the areas of cost effective technology. Ferro cement toilets have produced and erected for several families. Ferro-cement is a relatively new construction material consists of wire meshes and cement mortar. Ferro cement is widely used due to the low self weight, lack of skilled workers, no need of framework etc. Quality of Ferro-cement works are assured because the components are manufactured on machinery set up and execution time at work site is less. Maintenance cost of Ferro-cement is low. Ferro-cement construction has come into widespread use only in the last two decades. Ferro cement toilets with pit composting toilet construction technology is being adopted in many villages as promoted by SEVAI, a Trichy based NGO.A minimal amount of water is required to flush the pan.  The effluent from the toilet is directed first to one of the leach pits which are permeable and thus allow liquid to pass into the surrounding soil, while solids remain in the pit.  As a ‘rule of thumb’ a family of five takes two years to fill the first leach pit, at which point, the effluent is directed into the second leach-pit, leaving the contents of the first leach-pit to develop into compost which can then be removed with a shovel and safely used to fertilize crops.  SEVAI has promoted a design of Ferro cement toilet and in this design, most of the components, from leach pits to superstructure, are all manufactured of ferrocement. This fibrocement design is a sustainable technology, provided the fibrocement production is carried out by trained personnel and quality control maintained. Ferro cement toilets are cost effective and quick to assemble and bring it to functions at the earliest. The  Cost Effectiveness of Ferro-Cement Structures are due to The type of economic system, type of applications, relative cost of labor, capital and local tradition of construction procedure, doesn’t need heavy plant or machinery and application of low cost of construction materials.-Govin