Sustainable Urban Sanitation and Septage Management: A Study of Small Towns in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

AbstractWhen sanitation is first conceived, its scope is restricted to the removal of human waste using methods such as cesspools, open ditches, pit latrines, bucket systems, and the like. Today, it refers to a more comprehensive concept that encompasses the elimination of solid and liquid waste, the hygiene of food, as well as personal, domestic, and environmental cleanliness. Sanitation is one of the fundamental factors that determines both quality of life and the indicator of human growth. Infections can be avoided altogether by adhering to proper sanitation practices, which stop the contamination of water and soil. As a result, the concept of sanitation is broadened to encompass not only personal hygiene but also the cleanliness of the home, the provision of clean water, the removal of waste products (including feces and urine), and the disposal of waste water. The government of India has implemented the Swachchatam Sarvekshan programme and begun developing protocols like as ODF, ODF+, and ODF++ in order to guarantee the long‐term viability of inclusive sanitation infrastructure and the efficient application of these facilities. In light of this, the purpose of the current article is to investigate the state of urban sanitation and the management of septage in a few select small towns in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The information used in the paper has been collected through filed survey.