Public toilets invaluable to locals
Public toilets invaluable to locals
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Some 1,500 Cerewed villagers in a slum area of Cikupa district,
Tangerang regency, likely never could have imagined that a public
bathroom would be so invaluable, not only a place with sanitary
toilets, but a source of free cooking gas and inexpensive water.
A bit of nifty intermediate technology in the septic tanks can
pipe the naturally occurring methane gas directly to neighborhood
kitchens.
The system was donated to the villagers by a German non-
governmental organization (NGO) Bremen Overseas Research and
Development Association (Borda).
In cooperation with local NGO Bina Ekonomi Sosial Terpadu
(Best), Borda completed on Wednesday the construction of the
public bathroom in the village, which consists of six toilets and
seven bathing areas.
The methane gas produced from the "MCK++" (MCK is the local
term for public bathroom) is free but homeowners must live nearby
and get some equipment.
"Residents who wish to use this free fuel just need to have a
gas stove and install the necessary pipes...but the gas can only
be piped to houses less than 100 meters from the septic tank
because the gas pressure is not strong enough to reach outside of
that range," Best director Hamzah Harun Al Rasyid said in the
launch of MCK++, which was also attended by Tangerang deputy
regent Norodom Sukarno on Wednesday.
But, will the methane gas stink?
"No, the sewage treatment turns the gas into fuel and no
longer fouls the air. Therefore, no need to worry that the food
they cook will smell," Hamzah assured.
Norodom Sukarno said that the MCK++, which cost Rp 200 million
(US$23,529), was entirely financed by German government via
Borda.
The residents do pay for the use of the public bathroom: Rp
200 for the toilet and Rp 300 for bathing, in addition to Rp 300
for every 20 liters of water the residents take from the MCK++,
which has several water taps connected to a water pump.
"Because it is the residents themselves who manage the MCK++,
the money will be used to pay for the MCK++ maintenance fees and
electricity bills, while some of the money will be used to fund
the residents' social activities," said Norodom.
He said the regency would continue to cooperate with Best and
Borda so they could donate more of the unique public toilets in
other slum areas.
"This technology is very useful and I will propose a special
budget for the project," he added, however it was not clear what
the government would be paying for as everything is paid for by
German taxpayers.
Cikupa district chief Soma Atmadja said all villages in his
jurisdiction were suffering from a water scarcity "because each
of some 300 factories around the area suck out most of the ground
water in great amounts".
"That is the main reason why the MCk++ was first built in this
village," he said.
Asmah, 56, a housewife, said that it was very helpful for the
residents because earlier they had to buy water from vendors at
Rp 1,000 for 20 liters.
"Now we can save more than two-thirds for water. Moreover, we
can also use the methane gas for free to replace expensive
kerosene," the mother of six said with a big smile.