Low cost geopolymer modular toilet unit for ODF India – A case study

An initiative of Indian Government for Open Defecation Free (ODF) country is initiated under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (SBA) (Clean India Mission). An affordable toilet unit can cut down the cost implications of this high budget flagship programme. Conventional materials and techniques may not alter the cost, time and other parameters of the project. Therefore, quest for new and sustainable construction is the need of the hour. Thermal power plants, cement, iron and steel industries continue to be the polluters of environment and cause for climate change. Industrial wastes disposal and depletion of raw materials of cement industry are potential issues of concern for researchers around the globe. A zero-Portland cement using Fly Ash (FA) and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) can be a one-step sustainable solution for prevailing industrial problems. This article presents a case study on low cost geopolymer modular toilet unit for ODF India. It is the first time in India that the modular toilet unit is cast with Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) incorporating the Industrial wastes which enables easy and quick installation and provide the solution to the issue of waste disposal. It is fitted with mechanical self-cleansing system with regular, unintended, automatic and compulsory flushing with optimised quantity of water immediately after use. The GPC toilet unit has also shown the improved performance and functional properties over the conventional toilet unit in terms of embodied energy, GHG, land area, cost and material saving. This successful sustainable attempt can be scaled up to other concreting practices of construction and infrastructure industry, as a part or whole.