Project Partner Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB)
Project Location Kathmandu & Bhaktapur
Project Duration Apr 2023 - May 2023
Description Fecal sludge management (FSM) is a challenging task and has been a global problem due to rapid urbanization and industrial revolution as well as population growth and unplanned settlements that has posed serious challenges on the environmental status. It is a challenging problem mainly in low-income countries where large parts of the urban population rely on onsite sanitation systems. The major problem is the lack of proper disposal and treatment techniques. Though fecal sludge treatment plants have been constructed in different parts of the country, the lack of proper facilities for maintenance and use of byproducts is still lacking. Hence, management of the fecal sludge, and byproducts of the treatment plants can be recognized as an urgent need. Renowned as an agricultural country, Nepal has been facing a lot of problem in the context of agriculture and farming. It has to depend on other countries like India, etc. for the chemical fertilizers such as Urea, DAP, etc. Also, there is still lack of timely provision of the chemical fertilizers and other agricultural requirements. This study will be utilizing different additives such as ash, mustard cake, saw dust, etc. and fecal sludge cake from Lubhu Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) and Guheshwori Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for the preparation of co-compost which can be an alternative and feasible solution for the agricultural purposes and could reduce the use of soil quality degrading chemical fertilizers.
The study was conducted in response to the global challenge of fecal sludge management (FSM) caused by rapid urbanization, population growth, and unplanned settlements, particularly in lowincome countries. Nepal, as an agricultural country, faces challenges in agriculture and relies on chemical fertilizers imported from other countries. The lack of timely provision and soil quality degradation caused by chemical fertilizers necessitate the exploration of alternative and sustainable solutions. The study aimed to utilize fecal sludge cake from Lubhu Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) and Guheshwori Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in combination with additives like ash, mustard cake, and sawdust to produce farmer and environment-friendly co-compost. The objective was to provide technical assistance and innovative solutions for the management and utilization of fecal sludge cake, ultimately reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The study was conducted in collaboration with EcoConcern, Kisan Care Nepal, and the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB).
Objective:
The objective of this project was to provide technical assistance on management of sludge cake generated from Lubhu FSTP and Guheshwori WWTP for producing farmer and environment-friendly co-compsot for agricultural application.
The specific objectives of the study are listed below:
- To prepare co-compost from the combination of fecal sludge cake generated from Lubhu FSTP and additives such as cow dung, mustard cake, bone meal, saw dust, ash, molasses and IP liquid.
- To prepare co-compost from the combination of sludge cake generated from Guheshwori WWTP and additives such as cow dung, mustard cake, bone meal, saw dust, ash, molasses and IP liquid.
- Characterization of fecal sludge cake from Lubhu FSTP and Guheshwori WWTP and prepared co-composts in terms of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), mercury, chromium, copper, total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus, potassium (K), total organic carbon (TOC), helminths.
- Pre-laboratory analysis of soil before application of compost for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, potassium (K), and organic matter.