For 35-year-old Shree Rari Lal, faecal sludge management has been a family tradition passed down through generations. Over the past 20 years, Lal has worked at Kushtia Municipality, witnessing significant advancements in his profession.
Gone are the days of manually carrying buckets of faecal sludge on his head. Today, Lal and his two colleagues utilize modern equipment, including municipal vehicles, to safely and efficiently manage faecal sludge.
Reflecting on the changes, Lal shared: “We now collect faecal sludge mechanically from the septic tanks of about 3–4 houses daily and dispose of it at designated dumping zones. The methods have improved drastically over the years.”
Kushtia Municipality, serving 38,000 households, has revolutionized its sanitation service system. Previously, households relied on members of the marginalized Harijan community, often referred to as "untouchables," to manually empty septic tanks. Today, residents can contact the municipality’s help desk to dispatch a trained team equipped with advanced tools.
Rupa Khatun, a resident, recounted the transformation: “We empty our septic tank once a year. The first service costs Tk1,400. Our four-story building houses five families, and we’ve used the service four times so far. Previously, when we lived in a one-story house, sweepers would manually lift the sludge. Now, the process is hygienic, environmentally friendly and more efficient with modern vehicles and pipes.”
The municipality’s progress has been guided by the Kushtia Municipality Sanitation By-laws 2020, developed under the authority conferred by Section 122 of the Local Government (Municipality) Act, 2009. To operationalize this legislation effectively, Kushtia Municipality is formulating and implementing the Sanitation Vision 2027.
Municipality officials said due to a system developed through by-laws, faecal sludge is now being removed in a standardized manner, preventing environmental pollution and providing easy services. This transformation is supported by SNV Netherlands Development Organization, which assists in developing and implementing the sanitation by-laws. Collaborations with SNV have also led to the execution of projects like Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) and Sustainable Urban Water Cycles, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, respectively.
Kushtia Municipality has adopted a comprehensive approach to faecal sludge management, covering emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse or disposal. A municipal official emphasized that the municipality maintains a database of workers and has provided training, with SNV’s support, to enhance their technical skills.
Furthermore, Kushtia Municipality developed guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and implemented them to protect the health of sanitation workers. The municipality also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to sanitation workers and monitors and supervises its use. Additionally, faecal sludge management services have now been outsourced to a private organization. This system prevents environmental pollution, protects open water bodies, including rivers, and transforms sludge into commercially viable products like fertilizer. Moreover, by introducing by-laws, the municipality eliminated subsidies for this service and now earns revenue as per its agreement with the private operator.
Chourhas Fulbari Kalyan Samiti (CFCS), a private organization, has been appointed to provide door-to-door faecal sludge collection services. Kushtia Municipality determined the fees for this service, offering reduced rates for low-income communities and poor households. CFCS employs an environmentally friendly mechanical approach to perform the task, effectively minimizing odor and environmental disruption. Md Anwar Hossain, CFCS Manager, explained: “As per our agreement with the municipality, we provide faecal sludge collection and transport services to residents. CFCS pays a fixed fee to the municipality under the terms of the agreement, ensuring profitability while keeping the services affordable for residents.”
An innovative outcome of these efforts is the production of co-compost, a nutrient-rich fertilizer derived from treated faecal sludge. Kushtia Municipality has appointed another private entity, Eras Venture Limited, for this task. This organization has successfully produced and marketed the fertilizer, which is now used in vegetable and flower cultivation.
Md Isa Haque, Director of Business Development at Eras Venture Limited, noted: “By adding specific ingredients to treated faecal sludge, we produce high-quality fertilizer that reduces production costs for farmers. The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) conducted a two-year study and verified its effectiveness on crops such as paddy, mangoes, and vegetables. Although we currently produce 90 tons per month, improved infrastructure could increase this to 200 tons.” The fertilizer is sold for Tk550 per sack and is distributed across 16 districts. He further mentioned that the collaboration with Kushtia Municipality for this service has been made possible solely due to the implementation of sanitation by-laws.
To streamline operations, Kushtia Municipality has introduced a digital citizen service platform. The Integrated Municipality Information System (IMIS) stores data on sanitation activities, enabling data-driven decision-making and improved service delivery. Furthermore, the municipality has enlisted and engaged building designers and masons to design and construct septic tanks and soak wells following the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) 2020.
