Page 45 - U4SSC Simple ways to be smart

The solution

A simple but smart technology intervention aims to address the issue by installing a simple
feedback mechanism at each public toilet. The device has three buttons, green, yellow and red,
that can be pressed to signify that the experience of using the toilet is good, neutral or troubling.
A wall-mounted unit needs only a power supply connection and a place to be installed, and most
public toilets already have a power connection. The device is very affordable, averaging INR 5000
for each unit, and the operational cost would include electricity charges. It can be retrofitted in
any public toilet. It is enabled with GSM/IoT and there is a backend system in place for relevant
reports and a dashboard.

When the button is pressed, a sensor is triggered, and a notification is sent to the server. Notifications
are typically sent using a GSM SIM card in the device, and this has proved reliable as network
availability has improved. The device location and the feedback are captured. At some locations,
instead of the device, a mobile app is used to give the feedback after scanning a QR code. Feedback
using a free SMS service is also available and can be used without a smartphone.

The results of the feedback are reflected on a dashboard. An alternative is that reports can be
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sent to the city officials on a daily or weekly basis. In some cases, consistent negative feedback can
trigger an automatic text message to the caretaker, advising them to improve their facility. If the
device is not working, the site supervisor informs the supplier.

Results

This system has been implemented since 2015 in many Indian cities that are part of the Swacch
Survekshan, such as Indore, Navi Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Benefits of the system have included:

• Cleaner public toilets, better sanitation for residents.

• Better experiences of people using public toilets, leading to less open defecation.

• Data collected helps the city to see which toilets are used most frequently or experience the
most problems.
• The city is able to monitor the performance of contractors and intervene to address problems.

• Residents have the opportunity to give feedback and feel that they are heard.

There were also some challenges:

• At some site, the site-supervisor kept on giving only positive feedback.
• Sometimes there are problems with the device like connectivity & network issues.

• In cities where power failures are frequent, the device does not work during the outages.

• Some of the devices are not water-resistant and this has caused them to fail.

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