To strengthen flood-resilient sanitation infrastructure, a Floating Toilet was inaugurated in Nalbari under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen. The initiative aims to ensure safe, hygienic, and dignified sanitation access during Assam’s recurring floods, especially in riverine and low-lying areas.

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• Assam faces annual floods that disrupt normal sanitation systems, leading to open defecation, contamination of water bodies, and heightened public health risks. 
• The floating toilet is an innovative, climate-adaptive response to this challenge.

Key features of the Floating Toilet

• Built on a high-density polyethylene floating dock, ensuring stability during floods.
  
• Equipped with four fibre-reinforced plastic cabins:
  
  • Two waterless urinals
    
  • Two Indian water closets
    
• Integrated biodigester-based waste treatment system that safely breaks down waste and produces odour-free treated water.
  
• Treated effluent meets prescribed discharge standards, making it safe for reuse or release into nearby water bodies.
  
• Designed for easy access through a floating walkboard.
  
• Each unit has its own water tank, proper ventilation, lighting, and provision for solar power.
  
• A manual hand pump ensures usability even during power outages.
  

Operational advantages

• The units are portable, can be installed or removed within a few hours, and adapt to changing flood conditions.
  
• They can be deployed near relief camps and vulnerable habitations during emergencies.
  
• Ownership and deployment will be managed by Public Health Engineering divisions during flood situations.
  

Governance and scheme linkage

• Implemented under Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen, which focuses on open defecation-free status, solid and liquid waste management, and sustainable rural sanitation.
  
• The initiative reflects the State’s push towards climate-resilient infrastructure and public health protection.
  

This model demonstrates how technology, sanitation, and climate adaptation can converge to address recurring flood-related challenges in Assam.

Exam Hook – Prelims 

Consider the following statements about Floating Toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen:

1. They are designed to function during floods without contaminating nearby water bodies.
   
2. They use biodigester technology for on-site waste treatment.
   
3. They are permanently fixed structures and cannot be relocated once installed.
   

Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: 1 and 2 only 

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