Odisha’s Faecal Sludge Management Model Goes National
India’s rapid urbanization has introduced major challenges, particularly in sanitation. Managing faecal sludge in cities and towns has been an uphill battle, with many areas lacking the systems needed to handle the waste effectively. Odisha’s story offers a compelling blueprint for change. Using eGov Foundation’s DIGIT platform, the state transformed its faecal sludge waste management. What started as a local innovation in Odisha is now being scaled nationwide by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
- Author's Name Aanchal Dahima
- Posted On 28th Nov 2024 at 11:14 AM
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The Sanitation Challenge: Where It All Began
Sanitation services in India’s urban areas have long struggled to keep up with the needs of a growing population. In smaller towns, untreated faecal sludge often ends up being dumped illegally, causing health and environmental hazards. Odisha was no exception. Ranked low in sanitation performance, the state faced a huge gap in its ability to track end to end management of its faecal sludge waste value chain.
Enters SUJOG-FSSM: a game changer for FSSM
In 2021, Odisha and eGov Foundation collaborated to create SUJOG-FSSM, leveraging the existing Digital Public Infrastructure, SUJOG, to address faecal sludge management (FSM) challenges efficiently and cost-effectively. This platform tracks the entire faecal sludge management process—from the moment a request for desludging is made to the safe treatment of the waste. By connecting various stakeholders—including ULB employees, FSTP technical resource persons, citizens, desludging operators, and drivers—on a single platform, it brings transparency and accountability to every stage of service delivery. The platform’s flexibility allows for the seamless integration of existing systems and quick development of new features.
The rollout of SUJOG-FSSM followed a phased approach, allowing for continuous improvements and expansion across the state. The pilot in 2021 to Phase-1 rollout in 35 ULBs was completed within 18 months, followed by the Version 2 rollout to an additional 34 ULBs, bringing the total to 69 ULBs, in just 10 months. Version 3, featuring enhanced functionality and new features, was deployed in 8 months. Overall, the journey from pilot approval to state handover took 40 months, including delays caused by COVID-19. In July 2024, SUJOG-FSSM was officially handed over to the state, marking a key milestone in Odisha’s journey towards sustainable sanitation practices.
The Housing and Urban Development Department (HuDD) Odisha, the Odisha Urban Academy (OUA), and the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) have all played vital roles in the platform’s implementation. PwC has been instrumental in operationalizing SUJOG, WASHI in domain expertise while CPR and UNICEF have supported Urban-Rural Convergence (URC). Ernst & Young (EY) acted as the Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the state, offering guidance on FSM implementation. Urban Management Centre (UMC) focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of sanitation workers. These partnerships enabled the creation of an open digital ecosystem where stakeholders could co-create solutions, helping SUJOG-FSSM become more robust and adaptable.
Odisha’s adoption of SUJOG-FSSM is a testament to the success of strategic collaborations and government backing. The Odisha Urban Academy (OUA) ensures ongoing capacity building, and the NFSSM Alliance has played a crucial role in shaping state-level FSM policies. SUJOG-FSSM now operates across 69 urban local bodies (ULBs) in Odisha, processing faecal sludge requests in real time. This system has led to safer sanitation practices, benefiting over 1800 habitats including rural requests, safely disposing of more than 143 million liters of septage through 45,000+ desludging trips.
Odisha’s FSSM Journey
How the Ecosystem Made It Work
- Starting Small, Scaling Fast: The platform was introduced step-by-step, allowing improvements along the way before expanding across the state. Starting with three cities, it now serves 66 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state.
- Flexible, Open-Source Technology: Built on eGov’s DIGIT platform, SUJOG-FSSM is modular and scalable, making it adaptable for different local needs while being easy to expand.
- Training and Support: The Odisha Urban Academy played a key role in training ULB staff and operators, sanitation workers ensuring smooth adoption of the digital platform.
- Real-Time Data and Transparency: The platform gave administrators visibility into every part of the FSM process, helping them track requests, monitor transport, and ensure proper treatment.
- Adaptive Sustainable Practices: The platform is adapted to address field realities, including varied pricing models, urban-rural integration, and non-empanelled vehicle inclusion.
Key Features and Benefits
- Simplified Service Delivery: All FSSM activities, from capturing desludging requests to treating sludge at FSTPs, are mapped and tracked, providing a clear view of service delivery across various locations and property types.
- Enhanced Transport Management: It empowers efficient transport management through the empanelment of cesspool vehicles, drivers, and desludging operators.
- Streamlined Treatment Operations: The platform facilitates real-time monitoring of treatment quality, allowing for early detection of any variations across FSTPs. This ensures adherence to the required benchmarks.
- Verifiable and Real-Time Data Capture: SUJOG-FSSM captures critical data at every stage including applicant information, location, type of vehicle used, and disposal.
Odisha’s Results: From Lagging to Leading in Sanitation
In just 18 months, Odisha moved up the sanitation rankings and became one of the top states in the 2023 Swachh Survekshan. Over 1.5 lakh household toilets were built, and 49 ULBs achieved ODF+ and ODF++ status. The SUJOG-FSSM platform improved the operation of the state’s 120 sludge treatment plants, linking them directly to service requests, increasing their use and ensuring better waste management.
A Reusable Platform for Global and Local Needs
One of the most exciting aspects of this journey is how it brought diverse stakeholders together. From local governments and sanitation workers to national and international partners like UNICEF, everyone worked towards a common goal of improving sanitation services. UNICEF has deployed UPYOG-FSM in four states, demonstrating the platform’s flexibility. In Punjab, rapid deployment for rural areas was achieved in just 14 days, showing the platform’s ability to be implemented quickly and effectively. Service Monitoring and Vehicle Tracking modules have been contributed by the community, reflecting the platform’s collaborative nature. Globally, the Ministry of Health in Indonesia and UNDP are exploring DIGIT’s potential for sanitation and medical waste management. In India, Karnataka’s RDPR is considering the platform for solid waste management, further expanding its utility across waste streams.
Scaling Up: A National Platform for Faecal Sludge Management
Seeing Odisha’s success, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM – NIUA) are now scaling SUJOG-FSSM across India. The platform, now running on UPYOG, allows citizens across states to request desludging services. This digitalization involves automating inventories of various components, including septic tanks, desludging vehicles, personal service providers (PSSOs), faecal sludge treatment plants/sewage treatment plants (FSTPs/STPs), and institutional mechanisms in both urban and rural areas. A centralized portal specifically designed for desludging services will be developed to facilitate user access. This portal will integrate with the centralized call centre, allowing users to submit service requests through the designated helpline number “14420.” By streamlining FSSM services, the national platform will help cities and states better manage sanitation, making them more efficient and data-driven.
