WaterAid – Tamil Nadu and Kathmandu
Solid waste management is a major health risk in congested settlements. In Chinnavilai and neighbouring villages in Tamil Nadu, India, where the 2004 tsunami destroyed the water delivery and sanitation systems, WaterAid worked with the Association of Women’s Education and Development to implement community-led waste management schemes.
The Sunga wastewater treatment plant, on the site of a former dumping ground at Thimee in Kathmandu, Nepal, uses reed bed technology, which is cheap and easy to implement. Prior to the scheme, waste water ran out into the streets. Now it is collected and filtered for use, and the sludge residue is used by farmers for fertilizer. WaterAid is promoting this approach to other organizations so that it can benefit more communities.
Read more:
WaterAid India
WaterAid Nepal
Seeds of change
Solid waste management in Chinnavilai, Tamil Nadu © Dieter Telemans/WaterAid
Reed bed technology at the Sunga wastewater treatment plant, Kathmandu © Marco Betti/WaterAid
