More than 200 schools including ECCDs across the country still use pit toilets. But Bhutan Toilet Organisation (BTO), an NGO working towards creating a healthy toilet culture in the country intends to change this.
With the hope to achieve Zero pit toilets in schools, BTO has started an initiative to upgrade existing pit toilets into flush toilets called SATO using a special Japanese toilet pan.
One of the features of the SATO toilet is a sealing mechanism to block odour.
BTO says upgrading pit toilets into SATO toilets is easy and cost-efficient.
“In many schools, toilets are an eyesore. It stinks and so it is easy for the schools to decide and dismantle such old toilets. And we also must know that the budget for toilet construction is very expensive. Because of budget constraint, students have to rely on very less number of toilets. But with this new project, we can save many old toilets,” Chablop Passang Tshering, the Executive Director of BTO, said.
BTO has so far initiated the project in three schools on trial and intends to do the same in remaining schools using pit toilets. One of the schools is Changzamtog lower secondary school in Thimphu.
“The toilets which have been locked up for about ten years have been repaired and made usable. In terms of cost, we have saved Nu 3 to 5 M worth of toilets which were in a terrible state. So I would urge my fellow principals to take up this initiative to maintain the toilets,” Sonam Phuntsho, the Principal of CLSS, said.
The 20 units toilets were upgraded in just four days at almost Zero cost. The smooth, durable and easy to clean plastic pan saves water and is cleaner.
In two months, BTO has upgraded 64 units of pit toilets in schools to SATO flush toilets.
BTO has received over one thousand SATO Pans as donations from a private Japanese company and intends to carry out their works with support from the education ministry.
