Toilet Building

Here's a copy of my masonry training report from Kaliabali. Apologies for the formal writing style but I think it'll give you a good idea of Gram Vikas construction work. I've never helped build a toilet before!

Kaliabali, a very colourful village

"Day 1: Building a Toilet.

We began our visit by viewing the construction of foundations at the lower end of the village, nearest to the busy State Highway 5. A mortar and stone-work layer had been placed on top of a dry stone base. Heavy rocks had been used to create a good solid structure. The height of the foundations is important - it is critical that they are above the height of any nearby land. In the event of flooding (monsoon season) this will minimise the risk of the toilet contents contaminating the land. We then moved to a clearing nearby to start our layout planning work. We were all given sketch maps of the standard Gram Vikas toilet and bathroom design, with all the necessary dimensions. We observed measurements being drawn to scale in the soil and marked out with ash powder. Strings attached to stakes were used to measure out the foundation dimensions of nine feet by five feet eight inches. Care was taken when staking the corners to ensure we had correct right angles – two stakes per corner were used instead of one. After lunch we (Abhishek, Anvesh, Rakesh, Rohit and I) attempted to recreate this. We experienced difficulties with the placement of stakes (twisted stakes, hard ground) and unclear marking of the string. This lead to the dimensions marked being approximately an inch out. To ensure we had the correct right angles we had used the Pythagorean triple measurement of three inches by four inches by five.

Ash powder marks our foundations

After lunch we moved to a different site and observed the next stage of construction after the foundations had been laid. A level layer of cement (locally referred to as masala) was placed on top of the foundations; bricks (which were wet so they didn't draw the moisture out of the mortar before curing) were then added as a plinth layer. The bricks were laid with stretcher side up giving the greatest degree of strength. A further level of stretcher bond brickwork was then added. Work finished for the day as the light was becoming poor and a lack of bricks had arisen.

Laying the bricks on a good base

Day 2: Time For The Porcelain.

On the following day we returned to the main building site. We would observe the fitting of the p-trap, porcelain bowl and the piping to the soak pits. The function of the p-trap is to provide a seal between the toilet and the soak pit. The trap (due to its u shape) will always contain a small amount of water, which will prevent bad odours from returning to the toilet building. The trap was tested first by filling it with water and then placing it on a level surface and ensuring the seal remained. The two soaks pits were dug within four feet of the toilet. The height again was important so that the contents of the pits wouldn’t contaminate the land in the case of a flood. Three four foot diameter concrete rings were used; the small gap between the rings and the empty pit at the bottom will allow the contents to decompose and soak away (hence the name soak pits). It was also important to ensure a gradual slope in the pipe so that the contents would disperse freely. Great care was taken forming the Y chamber from bricks and cement; again to ensure no blockages. If any problems arose a bar or stick could be inserted to clear any object fowling the pipe work. The Y chamber allowed the re-routing of waste once the original pit had become full. Once emptied the pit would be re-used.

Almost ready for the roof

Day 3: Putting The Roof On.

On the final day of our visit we observed the finishing touches added to the Y chamber and soak pits, the construction of a toilet roof and, after lunch, we conducted an interview with Tatayya and his family (the gentleman who initiated the Gram Vikas installation). Brickwork around the top of the concrete ring allowed the piping to become fully incorporated into the structure. A concrete lid would then be placed over the pit. A mesh frame had been created in a nearby field by fastening steel rods together using wire. This was then raised onto a bed a branches/leaves to act as a barrier to stop the concrete "drawing up" the brickwork below. Temporary supports were then put into place before the mixed concrete was poured onto the roof.

Construction of the Soak Pits

We then took the opportunity to interview Tatayya, the man whose family would be using the first toilet/bathroom constructed in this village project. They are among the most vulnerable people in the village; he is a migrant labourer earning ~150 rupees a day (£2), his wife works in Berhampur and earns 100 rupees after travelling expenses. They have two daughters, the younger of which had dropped out of school due to the high costs and now gets occasional work at a local cashew nut processing factory for 60 rupees a day. Their concern mainly lay with finding a secure location for toilet requirements. A large amount of the nearby land (close to the highway) has changed ownership recently with a view to development and so toilet trips (open defecation) had become increasingly difficult. Water access in the village wasn’t bad, it could be drawn from the village well - but the provision of a piped supply would considerably reduce the work of village women. Bathing currently occurs not far away; the busy state highway has to be negotiated first to gain access to the open pool. We observed a traffic accident within thirty minutes of our arrival, so not having this route to take would obviously benefit the villagers."

Tatayya interviewed by Anvesh and Abhishek

I should have popped this report into last year's blog but heading back to the UK for Christmas meant I forgot. Will update blog again very soon with my UQT exploits at Kankia School...

Cool Kalahandi

Beautiful Kalahandi - 3000ft up meant cool nights (great relief)

Khandual Waterfalls in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

Another blog entry produced so quickly? An early Christmas present perhaps? It’s actually because I've been out in the field. With one days notice I packed my rucksack with a week's clothes, a sleeping bag, mosquito net and a warm blank; I was heading to Kalahandi. The overnight train left Berhampur at 22.25 and I was due to be picked up by field staff at Tikiri at 06:55 the following morning. Kalahandi is a remote district in eastern Orissa, known for its wildlife sanctuaries and hillside villages. To give you some idea of the size of India (and Orissa) Kalahandi has a similar population as The Gambia (1.5m) and occupies about 80% of the land. There are thirty other districts in Orissa and thirty five states/unions in India! Anyway back to the field trip - I'd brought a good blanket as we'd be staying at 3,000ft in the field office - warm days but chilly nights. I'd be joined by Rohit, his wife Anusha and her brother Abhishek - three new Gram Vikas managers. Our plan would be to visit a number of villages that had implemented various GV projects - ranging from standard gravity-flow bathroom/toilets to micro-hydro plants and solar powered installations. The current record low price for solar panels has lead Gram Vikas to plan numerous installations at their own field offices and schools - we would be carrying out pre-install surveys at Bafala and Thuamal Rampur School. We were picked up in a Mahindra Bolero jeep - squeezing nine of us and baggage into the vehicle for the three hour journey. Some of the roads were little more than tracks; at one point we had to leave our vehicle and trek for hour, crossing a river by boat, before visiting an impressive solar powered site at Maligaon. Gram Vikas' role is one of facilitator, with a small funding role. The majority of the funds for projects are sourced from government schemes and the villagers themselves (usually including labour and materials too). We're always very warmly welcomed - many villagers think we're actually benefactors and I've even had children touch my feet (a Hindi sign of respect) - very humbling.

Solar installation at Malagaon

The following day we visited a local school, only a few yards from our programme office. Solar panels would soon be fitted to the school's roof allowing both the school and office to share electricity 24/7. The life of a solar panel is typically about twenty years with minimal maintenance - batteries last considerably less (~five years) with continued distilled water top-ups. Gram Vikas also makes the effort to integrate its schools/offices with the local environment. You'll notice numerous crops being grown, water from wash-rooms/toilets recycled to grow papaya/bananas. Even the playground was constructed using local wood swings and roundabouts. They’ll be pretty much self sufficient.

Thuamal Rampur Gram Vikas School - one of four residential schools in Orissa

The food at the field office was another highlight (again benefiting from the school crops). The rumour is that it is deliberately so - an incentive for people to leave the comfort of the head office in Mohuda and brave life in the field. We had wonderful vegetable curries, salads and amazing ginger chai (tea). Another hardship (not really for me) is the lack of mobile/cellular coverage. It's understandable that people will want to keep in touch with their loved ones when posted to remote areas. Kalahandians have an amusing solution to this - they're called "Hello Points". These are areas (usually on the top of a mountain or a cliff edge) of weak cellular coverage - people gather to make/receive phone calls. In one case three guys were actually surfing the Internet with a laptop on a cliff edge (I mentioned my blog but they weren't interested).

Hello Point - Extreme Internet surfing!

The following day we would visit a micro-hydro plant - something I was looking forward to. Kalahandi as you'll have gathered is quite hilly and water is utilised to the maximum by Gram Vikas. Standard sanitation/bathroom installations make use of gravity flow water supplies; that is taking water from a higher source allowing it to then work in showers, bathrooms, flow uphill etc (using the siphon principle). Hydraulic rams are also used to aid the movement of water to outlying fields - they require no additional power other than a water supply, all very clever. Where there is sufficient water flow small hydro-electric turbines have been installed to generate power for an entire village (up to 15kw in the case of Purnaguma). The villages where GV have carried out projects are not only transformed by improved health with clean water supplies but they also become oases of fruit, vegetables and flowers.

15Kw Micro-hydro at Karnivel

Gram Vikas ensures clean drinking water!

Two volunteers at Gram Vikas would be moving on in November - Jack continued on his gap year travels by visiting Thailand. He then heads to Laos/Vietnam/Malaysia/Singapore before flying to Argentina (back via the Middle East?!?), then to California before finishing off in Australia – the route looks crazy on a map. Olive (who had helped me move to Orissa and for which I'm eternally grateful) is heading back to Ireland, her one year VSO placement coming to an end. We’ve also had two new volunteers from Montreal - Daniel and Helene, so the numbers of volunteers stays healthy. Although I'll miss the office craic with Olive the silver lining is that I now have a broadband connection in my house. The process of transferring this from Olive's name allowed the Indian love affair with bureaucracy, paperwork and stamping things to go stratospheric. After numerous trips to BSNL (local telephone company) an affidavit and indemnity bond were issued! My favourite line from the bond is..."I do hereby agree to surrender to the President of India the telephone number 06082260016". I also bought the VSO fridge (for 4,500 rupees!) and now have a toaster, iron and gas stove. This means I can finally cook. Today I started off slowly by cooking chicken & mushroom pasta. When I say "cooking" I actually mean emptying a sachet into a mixture of simmering milk and water. I then gave it the Marcus touch by adding extra pasta and a chicken and leak cup-a-soup - very tasty!