AEROSAN HUB_MANGALBAZAAR
The Mangalbazaar Hub Public Toilet is managed by Aerosan Sustainable Sanitation (ASS).
Key Features of Hub
1.
Neo Infrastructure
This
hub has two male cubicles for defecation and 1 open unit of the urinal for the
male where 5-6 can pee at a time. One wheelchair-accessible cubicle for
disabled users (it's free). The female block is comprised of 5 cubicles. The
cubicles and urinals are equipped with a sensor-based auto flush system to
maintain cleanliness after each use. It
is the first-ever public toilet with IOT based sensor gates operated with coin.
This gate gives the user count database and this database can be accessed
online. The hub also consists of sensor lights. The handwash stations consist
of sensor-based hand driers to promote a touchless handwashing experience removing
the towels touched by many users and mitigate the contamination of germs like
Covid 19. The cubicles have an award-winning uniquely designed Squatese Pan
that was helpful in a comfortable squatting experience during defecation and
further promotes toilet training. All the cubicles have hooks to hang the user's
coat, bag, and purse.
2.
Gender Friendly Public Toilet
The
hub provides a gender-friendly environment to reduce the problem that women and
girls are facing. Women feel difficult to use the public toilet since there are
no light and water facilities at the public toilet. There are also cases of molestation
in the dark public toilet and hence they feel insecure to visit the public
toilet even they need it badly. But this public toilet is spacious with abundant
light which makes the women feel comfortable and secure using the public
toilet. Menstrual hygiene facility like pad vending machine is placed where
they can easily get sanitary pad inside the public toilet at a subsidized cost.
Users need not hide the pads above the doors or windows as there is a dustbin for
disposal. It also has hooks systems in the doors of a female toilet to hang
their bags which has increased the safety among the girls. For working women
operators of the hub, there is a small kitchen where they can cook their meal
using the biogas during their duty.
3.
Environment-Friendly Systems:
a. Rainwater Harvesting
System
Rainwater
is the purest form of water. But the proper utilization of rainwater is very little.
The hub consists of a 438.75 sq ft catchment area for rainwater collection with
7000 liters of a storage tank. Annually 561,600 liters of rainwater are
harvested. The rooftop rainwater is collected through the sky water filter that
removes the debris and works as a first flush.
b. Biogas Digestor:
Fecal waste management is a major problem in the cities like Kathmandu Valley. Most of the septic tanks are connected to the river system and those which are not connected are collected by tankers and then finally disposed to the water systems. But the Aerosan Hub has developed a biogas digestor of 10 cubic meters capacity and is generating biogas (methane) that is being used for cooking meals for the operators on duty.
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