Speaker
 

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak
Founder, Sulabh International, New Delhi

Born in 1943 in a family of the highest of the high in caste hierarchy of India the susceptible and impressionable mind of young Bindeshwar Pathak was influenced by the attitude of his maternal grand father, a freedom fighter, and the way the old man had freed himself from the shackles and stranglehold of social rigidities. An incident here and an episode there moulded, rather encouraged the questioning and rebellious mind of young Bindeshwar.

India was on the threshold of freedom and the spirit of young Pathak was fluttering to gain new heights to explore new horizons. Education began and petty jobs were taken up. Boredom and dissatisfaction played their part. Later he was to complete his thesis and attain the distinction of securing a D.Litt. In the intervening period the rising star came for notice when he founded in 1970 the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation and for achieving success in the field of low-cost sanitation, social transformation of society, prevention of environmental pollution and development of non-conventional sources of energy. Merely enumerating academic degrees acquired by him, or recounting awards and honours conferred upon him will not be doing justice to writing of a bio-data or penning a biographical sketch of Dr. Pathak to arrive at a correct and a balanced appreciation and assessment of work that Dr. Pathak has done. In a way, it will not be wrong to say that his achievements in the field of sanitation, benefiting millions, is his real bio-data.

And therefore one has to go back to 1968-69 when he started weaving the warp and weft of sanitation technologies working with the Gandhi Centenary Committee, where he was inspired to work for liberation of scavengers – those engaged in manual cleaning of excreta of others. From 1969 to 1974 he spent time munching ideas, conducting experiments and carrying research to come up with twin-pit pour-flush toilet system. This technology developed and modified by him has helped wean away, over 60,000 scavengers from their demeaning task by converting bucket privies into Sulabh toilets and constructing new toilets that figure over a million. Based on his concept of "pay and use toilets", Sulabh has constructed nearly 6,000 public toilets in different states of India. Together the two viz. individual household and community toilets are used by ten million people every day.

Production of biogas from human excreta of public toilet is his unique achievement. So far 117 biogas plants have been constructed; biogas from which is being used for cooking, lighting and electricity generation. Another remarkable breakthrough in technology has been the development of Sulabh Effluent Treatment (SET) system which renders the sewage colourless, odourless and pathogen free fit for agricultural and horticultural purposes. The sullage of biogas plant is soil nutrient rich. An achievement worth mentioning has been the development of Sulabh Thermophilic Aerobic Composter (STAC) which composts biodegradable wastes within a period of 8 to 10 days as against, through the present day technology in 30 to 40 days. On-site waste disposal and waste water treatment technologies have led to beneficial effects on environment and prevention of insanitation related diseases. His effort has created almost permanent jobs for over 50,000 social workers with Sulabh.

These achievements of his have resulted in United Nations Centre for Human Settlement recognising Sulabh's cost-effective and appropriate sanitation system as a "Global Urban Best Practice" at the Habitat-II Conference held 1996; and UNCHS (Habitat) conferring the 2000 Dubai International Award on Sulabh. Largely due to his efforts the Economic and Social Council of United Nations has granted Special Consultative Status to Sulabh.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Public Health Engineers (India) and a Life Member of Indian Science Congress Association. He is a member of different councils/committees of the Government of India. Amongst the prominent awards conferred upon him and recognitions accorded to him include International St. Francis Prize for the Environment, Canticle of Creatures, in 1992, Assisi, Italy; Padma Bhushan by the President of India, in 1991. A recipient of "Global 500 Roll of Honour" Award of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for his outstanding environmental achievements in October, 2003 Dr. Pathak was given "Habitat Scroll of Honour" Award by UN-Habitat for developing and instituting over one million twin-pit pour-flush toilets in India. He has been honoured with being appointed Special Sanitation Advisor to the WSSCC Secretariat. Technologies developed by him have received recognition and appreciation by various agencies like WHO, WSSCC, UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, UNCHS, HABITAT etc. The significant contribution made by Sulabh which stands identified with Dr. Pathak in the field of sanitation finds mention in UNDP Report - 2003.

He has written a number of books on sanitation and related social problems. His seminal achievements have been appreciated and acknowledged by national and international press and audio-visual media.

Summing up his achievements and his bio-data we can say that he has journeyed from a period of faith to age of reason bringing enlightenment in the field of sanitation for millions. He has to his credit a distinguished past. A glorious future surely awaits him.