Faecal Sludge Management in Khulna City: An Approach for Safe Emptying

Abstract

Faecal sludge (FS) comprises the human excreta both in liquid and semi-liquid contents which stored in pits and septic tanks. Faecal sludge management (FSM) refers to the containment technology, emptying, transport, treatment, and safe disposal or reuse of human waste. In this study, the aim is to identify the on-site containment management practices at three different types of settlements in Ward No. 9 of Khulna City Corporation (KCC). The selected three types of settlements are Muzgunni Second Phase as a residential area, Boro Boyra as a mixed-use area and Rail Junction Bosti as a slum area. The study has been conducted by a series of household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussion (FGD). The data gathered from the questionnaire have been analyzed by Standard Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel software. The study finds that only 7% of septic tanks having soak well and rest of the septic tank is connected to a nearby drain or water body in the residential area. Also, in this area, about 81% of the containment is suitable and 77% is accessible for mechanical emptying wherein the mixed-use area about 41% containment is accessible and 59% are not. However, in the slum, about 78% of containment is not accessible. In the residential area, about 58% of containment has not emptied yet where this percentage is 41% and 5% respectively for the mixed-use and for the slum. About 31% of the septic tank has been emptied manually where only 13% is mechanically in the residential area. However, for the mixed-use area, manual emptying is about 50% and mechanical emptying is about 7% and all emptying operations have been done either manually or self. In all three areas, the emptied sludge is disposed to nearby drains if emptied manually and disposed to Khulna faecal sludge treatment plant (FTP) if emptied mechanically. The study also reveals that the quality of emptying of the residential area is found unsafe emptying as 31.23%, partially safe emptying as 12.77%, and safe emptying as 56%. Again, for the mixed-use area, unsafe emptying is found as 41.28%, partially safe emptying as 14.24%, and safe emptying as 44.48%. And for the slum area, unsafe emptying is found as 61.53%, partially safe emptying as 13.74%, and safe emptying as 24.73%. Finally, the overall emptying quality found as 42.14% for the residential and as 35.57% for the mixed-use area which represents partially safe emptying practices in both two areas where the score for the same is found as 17.35% in the slum which indicates totally unsafe emptying. Septic tank outlet connection, inaccessibility of containment, emptying largely manually ignoring the safety issues, knowledge gap etc. issues are the main problems to achieve safe emptying. Khulna Development Authority (KDA) and KCC is the regulatory authority of FSM in Khulna where KDA is responsible mainly for septic tank design and construction supervision phase and KCC is in emptying of the septic tank. Safe emptying can be possible by enforcing the laws to septic tank outlet connection during design and construction, introducing alternative small emptying device where mechanical emptying is not possible and organizing different types of awareness building program to gather knowledge and triggering the mechanical emptying demand to the users.