Hi,
I assume pk jha refers to the twin pit system that is popular in India, where one pit is sealed off when full and only emptied after a certain time (here 3 years). That means no addition of fresh pathogens since 3 years. akvopedia.org/wiki/Twin_Pits_for_Pour_Flush

We should consider the safety of the materials no worse than material collected in a UDDT with a total withholding period of 3 years (e.g. 1/2 in the vault, 2 1/2 years outside).

Following the generally used recommendations, material 3 years old is ok for agriculture resuse, keeping in mind the necessity of addtional safety barriers (protective clothes, crop restriction etc.) because some (very few) pathogens may remain.

The post was made in the context of manual scavenging, and there I agree: manual removal of fresh sludge (e.g. from a single pit toilet) is hugely different from 3 years old sludge from a twin-pit system.

Regards,
Florian

Dear pk jha,

As you addressed Paul Calvert directly, I e-mailed him about your post. Here is his reply:

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Hi Elizabeth, can barely find a minute just now, but I guess the thing is, and PK Jha is such a nice and committed fellow, that in some cases pour flush may yield such material over that time in good drained soil for example. But not always everywhere.
I agree, moving safe material shouldnt be regarded as manual scavenging.
Do post for me if you like! I will be off email for a few days.
best
Paul

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For those of you who don't know Paul Calvert, here is his website:
www.eco-solutions.org/about_us.html

Dear pk jha, could you please introduce yourself and edit your forum profile so that we know who you are?
You can find tips on how to edit your forum profile here in our help section:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/134-us...-such-as-a-signature

Personally, I really doubt that you could get pathogen free manure from a wet pit - perhaps only if there were no worm eggs in the faeces to start with?? Do you have any evidence/proof that worm eggs were destroyed in the pits of pour flush toilets after 3 years? I would say: no way! (am happy to be proven wrong)

Note by moderator (EvM):
I moved this post into a new thread, it was originally here in the thread on manual scavenging in India:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/39-mis...aste-scavenging#5567
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Dear Paul

In case of pour flush toilets, human excreta ge converted into a pathogen free, odourless manure with very less moisture content after it is taken out 3 years from the closed pit. In some cases people take such manure out of pit and use for agriculture purpose. In other cases people hire labourers to get it cleaned. It should not be regarded as manual scavenging, as it is not in the form of human excreta.

pk jha