Kerala-based social enterprise Eram Scientific Solutions, a part of the over USD 2-billion Eram Group that has pioneered the concept of e-toilets in the country, is planning to install 1,500 more such facilities by the end of this year in collaboration with a host of corporates, including the software major TCS.
The Saudi Arabia-based Eram Group, which has over 40 operating companies in a host of sectors, has already installed over 2,000 of e-toilets in 20 states since its inception five years ago and the drive got a major push with the Swachh Bharat campaign.
"We have joined hands with corporates to install e- toilets in various states as part of their CSR initiatives. The latest such collaboration that we have entered into is with Tata Consultancy Services under which we will install over 600 e-toilets in schools across Andhra and Tamil Nadu.
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"Our target is to have over 1,500 additional e-toilets installed across the country by the end of 2017 taking the total to over 3,500 units," Eram Group chairman and managing director Siddeek Ahamed told PTI over phone.
The company is also working with several smart city projects to provide the plug and play unmanned and fully- automated smart public sanitation solutions, he added.
The Saudi Arabia-based Eram Group has 40 operating companies spanning 16 countries and is credited for introducing the concept of e-toilets in the country way back in 2011 through its social venture Eram Scientific Solutions, which is a leader in sanitation technology research, said Ahamed.
The company has already installed over 2,000 e-toilets in Assam, Andhra, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Jharkhand, J&K, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, MP, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and UP.
Following the Swachh Bharat campaign launched two years ago, the company has won 'toilet titan award' from Prime Minister Modi last year.
"One of the key targets for this year is to develop full-fledged commercial e-toilet model integrated with waste treatment facilities which can recycle and regenerate the water and energy to make the e-toilets completely off-grid," Ahamed said.
Eram Scientific has collaborations with the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), University of South Florida, Duke University, Cranfield University, Defence R&D Organization, among others, to continuously innovate on the sanitation challenges, he said.
The company has also developed she-toilets with special focus on hygiene for women and girls, he said, adding the company has also developed the world's cheapest e-toilets for girl students.
"There is a heightened awareness about sanitation because of the Swachh Bharat campaign, prompting several municipalities to stem the scourge of open defecation," said the NRI businessman who has diversified into different areas from oil and gas to education, from healthcare to IT, from construction to travel.
Ahamed said Eram's e-toilets has features suh as GPRS connectivity for online tracking, sensor-based electricity and water conservations, coin-validated entry, voice guidance etc.
These e-toilets are also completely automated with features like automatic pre-and after flush, exhaust fans, and automatic platform cleaning and lights. They also have a mobile app that helps the user to locate the nearest e-toilet and helps authorities to monitor the units.
