Gramalaya has established a Toilet Technology cum Training Centre at its rural headquarters at Kolakudipatti village in Thottiam block in Tiruchi district. The Toilet technology center was established with the funding support from Water Partners International, USA as a part of its WATSAN project. The centre has in display various models of toilets which could be used in the Total Sanitation campaign in rural areas including eco-san models. The centre will if necessary provide training for representatives and field staff of Non Governmental Organizations and Government officials including block co- ordinators involved in the TSC programme.
The Centre also has models of both Water less toilets and toilets which require reduced intake of Water suitable to the coastal, tribal, rocky terrain, water-logging and models for urban areas. The centre has domestic toilet models ranging in price from Rs.150 to Rs.30,000 which are also environment friendly. All models in the centre are based on the fact that they were successfully introduced in rural areas in various places in the district. Gramalaya also introduced child friendly toilets in municipalities and corporation areas. These child friendly toilets are situated adjacent to the regular toilets constructed by the City Corporation and maintained under the pay and use concepts by Womens Self-Help Groups, All Child Friendly Toilets are fully used by the neighborhood children.
Anganwadis under the NBA programme. The centre has facilities to provide training and demonstration – for nominal fees – of models in the centre for the benefit of NGO representatives and government officials involved in the Water Supply, Health and Sanitation fields. The center has miniature models of School toilets which are suitable for primary and middle schools in rural areas. Similarly the technology center also has models of toilets which can be built in Anganwadis under the NBA programme. The models displayed in the Technology centre are only indicative and the center encourages in native, local specific models using local materials.
