Devotees planning to go for the Char Dham Yatra this year, would be provided bio-digester toilets on the routes leading to the holy shrines. The toilets are designed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), and would be installed on the high-altitude portals of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, before the Yatra season kicks off on April 24 this year.
The bio-digester toilets were developed by DRDO essentially for the Army’s use in its high altitude stations for sanitory purposes. A state official explained that the environment-friendly toilets,that cost around Rs 7 lakh each, were selected for the Yatra route because they were low on maintenance and installation. “The bio-digester technology uses bacteria to treat waste. The toilets are highly customizable, and are available in both stationary and mobile formats, and are therefore suitable for use in the hilly terrain,” the official added.
According the sources, the state tourism department would be procuring both stationary and mobile toilets depending on the need and availability of space. The exact coordinates of their placement on the route will be decided in consultation with the local administration. The locations are still not finalized, once it is done, the department would put markers on the roads to apprise yatris about these toilets for their convenience.
News Src : TOI, Dehradun
img src : downtoearth
Published Date: February 21, 2015
