27 e-toilets have been installed in Pathanamthitta district

The Additional District Magistrate H. Salimraj has directed the Keltron as well as the Eram Scientific Solutions Limited that had installed e-toilets in different parts of the district to ensure trouble-free functioning of all the 27 e-toilets in the district in the next one week itself.
The ADM, leading a team comprising Babu George, former District Panchayat president; P. N. Madhusoodhanan, Sanitation Mission district co-ordinator; Prasanth R. Nair of the private company, and Chinchu Prasad, Keltron representative, had inspected all the 27 e-toilets installed in the district on Saturday following complaints of certain technical snags at various toilets.

Pune: Religious tourism in the state is set to receive a major boost as the Union tourism ministry has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 44 crore for the development of the Solapur mega circuit, which includes the pilgrimage spots of Pandharpur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur and Solapur.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has received around Rs 92 crore from the ministry for the current fiscal to develop tourism projects in the state. Though a large chunk of the allocation is for the Solapur mega circuit, other tourism projects to be undertaken using the funds include development of the Aurangabad and Satara circuits, setting up chain-link fencing, a watch tower and a parking facility at Kas plateau, and a boat club and adventure sports facility at Panshet.

The Ganga Action Parivar (GAP) has taken primary steps towards constructing the first zero-waste, “bio-digester” toilet in Uttar Pradesh along the banks of the Ganga.

The initiative is part of GAP’s drive to build 5,000 eco-friendly toilets in villages along the 2,500-km stretch of the Ganga and also integrates its “Green Kashi and Green Prayag” campaign. A special “brick puja” was performed by the organisers on the banks of the Ganga on Tuesday.

However, there is a hike in the additional charges that are levied

The Railway Budget for 2013-14 today spared passengers from any further hike in fares but raised various other charges on tickets along with freight tariff of less than 5%. Presenting the Budget in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who had effected an across-the-board hike in passenger fares only last month, said he does not intend to pass on the impact of deregulation of diesel price for now and the Railways will absorb a burden of Rs 850 crore on account of this.

JAMMU: N N Vohra, Governor, has called for urgent utilization of eco-friendly technologies for the sustained protection of environment and ecology.

The Governor said this while receiving a detailed presentation by a team of senior scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on bio-digester based eco-friendly toilets, at Raj Bhavan, here last evening. The Governor observed that there is need for urgently utilizing the valuable technology developed by the DRDO for an eco-friendly solution to treat human wastes. He said that this technology should be adequately publicized for enlarging awareness about its utility. He observed that possibilities could be explored for installation of these bio-toilets at various important tourist spots for eco-friendly treatment of human wastes.

ALLAHABAD/LUCKNOW: Swami Chidanand Saraswati of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram has earned sanitary distinction for the campaign he is running during the ongoing Maha Kumbh to provide clean toilets in

The Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation has installed nine public toilets for the exclusive use of women in the city.

The new “she-toilets” have been installed at the Government Women’s College; the Women and Children Hospital, Thycaud; the Government Ayurveda College; the Veli tourist village; the Kaimanam polytechnic; the Sreekanteswaram temple, University College; the homoeopathy college, East Fort; and opposite the Hindu Prachara Sabha, Vazhuthacaud. They will start functioning by December-end, P. Kulsu, Chairperson of the corporation, said.

The Railways are facing technical hitches in installing environment-friendly bio-toilets in trains, forcing an extension of the deadline for implementation of the project.

All new passenger coaches will have bio-toilets by 2016-17, but retrofitting of the existing coaches are expected to be completed by 2021-22. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will fund 50 per cent of the retrofitting cost of two lakh units in the existing 50,000 coaches.