Rural Sanitation & Liquid Waste Management
Soak pits, drainage channels, and ODF-Plus compliance in six gram panchayats of Tripura.
About This Project
Working with the Tripura government under MGNREGS and SBM-G Phase II, BITAN supported six gram panchayats in achieving Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF+) status by constructing soak pits, repairing drainage infrastructure, and conducting sustained household-level sanitation counselling.
The project took a convergence approach — linking MGNREGS labour with SBM-G material support to construct 340 individual soak pits and 12 community-level drainage channels at a fraction of standalone project cost. BITAN trained local masons from within the villages as construction supervisors, building a pool of skilled tradespeople who continue to maintain infrastructure.
Following ODF+ verification by the district authority, BITAN facilitated a community-led solid waste management system using low-cost segregation bins fabricated from local materials.
What We Did
- Household sanitation surveys across 6 gram panchayats (2,100 households mapped)
- Training of 18 local masons as construction supervisors under MGNREGS
- Construction of 340 individual soak pits and 12 community drainage channels
- Household-level counselling sessions on hygiene, sanitation, and liquid waste management
- ODF-Plus verification support — documentation and block administration liaison
- Community solid waste management system — design and commissioning of local segregation points
From the Field
Challenges & How We Addressed Them
Constructing drainage infrastructure in hilly Tripura terrain required significant adaptation of standard designs. BITAN's engineers worked with local masons and the PWD to redesign channels suited to the gradient, using locally available stone rather than imported materials — reducing cost by 30% while improving durability.
“For the first time our village has a complete drainage system. The water that used to collect near the road and breed mosquitoes now flows properly. BITAN trained our own people to build and maintain it — that is the most important part.”
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