Setting a new benchmark for sustainable religious practices, the renowned Kalpathy temple in Palakkad, Kerala has become the first temple in Kerala to completely recycle water flushed down toilets using a bio-digester and reuse it for flushing.
Viswanatha Swamy Temple at Kalpathy in Palakkad, which attracts thousands of devotees during the renowned Kalpathy Chariot Festival, has implemented a 100 percent eco-friendly waste management system using a bio-digester, ensuring that its toilet complex does not pollute water resources and the water flushed down is scientifically recycled for re-flushing.
The temple installed a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)-designed bio-digester at its toilet complex after replacing the conventional septic tank, which was found to be polluting the groundwater sources mainly Bharathapuzha.
“We decided to install a bio-digester because the conventional septic tanks failed to treat the waste from the toilet complex which was used by pilgrims visiting the temple. We approached Samudra Planet in Alappuzha with our requirement, and they installed a sewage management system using a bio-digester. Compared to a conventional septic tank, the bio-digester is totally maintenance-free and does not cause any pollution. We also installed a Bio-STP to recycle the pathogen and odour-free discharge water from the bio-digester and use it again for re-flushing in toilets,” said Sreekumar A Nair, vice-president of Friends of Bharathapuzha, a collective of local residents which took the initiative to protect Bharathapuzha from pollution caused by the septic tank at the temple toilet complex.
He said the Kalpathy Temple has become the first religious institution in Kerala to recycle wastewater effectively, reducing water wastage while preventing contamination of groundwater sources.
“When Friends of Bharathapuzha took up the matter with Palakkad Municipal Corporation, they extended all support and an in principle approval was given to go ahead with the project. Cochin Shipyard readily agreed to fund the project under the CSR and it was implemented with full support and cooperation of temple authorities,” he said.
“For all these years, we have been worrying about cleaning the septic tank. But since the installation of the bio-digester, we have peace of mind. The bio-digester is a proven technology for treating human waste using anaerobic bacteria. We have seen how bio-digesters are effectively functioning in Kochi metro stations,” Sreekumar said, adding that “the initiative reflects our commitment to preserving our cultural heritage while embracing modern scientific solutions for environmental sustainability. We hope that more temples and institutions in Kerala will follow our lead in implementing eco-friendly waste management.”
Samudra Planet Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Jeevan Sudhakaran said they have installed a bio-digester having the capacity to process 5,000 litres.
“The discharge water from the bio-digester is passed through three stages of filtration that include a Ultra Violet system before pumping it to the overhead tank for re-flushing. The quality of water is frequently tested to ensure the prescribed quality. The system ensures that the human waste from the toilet complex is 100 percent processed and the water used in the toilet complex does not go to waste. The Kalpathy Temple stands as a beacon of how tradition and technology can merge to create a cleaner and greener future,” he added.
