Piloting Enclosed Long-Term Composting in an Indian Village

This fact sheet describes a 2012-2014 pilot project in Mohaddipur, Bihar, India, which introduced and adapted enclosed long-term composting (ELTC) sanitation technology to eliminate open defecation and provide agricultural fertilizer.

• The project introduced enclosed long-term composting (ELTC) technology, originally from northern Europe and North America, to Mohaddipur to facilitate the safe reuse of human excreta as agricultural fertilizer. The system uses a single compost-processing chamber where solids decompose via composting worms (Eisenia foetida) and are intended to remain for over 30 years without emptying.
• The ELTC system was adapted for the Indian context by replacing peat in the starter/processing bed with coconut fibre and directing water used for anal cleansing into the chamber. The facility produces a liquid fertilizer known locally as "fertila", created when urine and washing water undergo bacterial oxidation (nitrification) in a process bed before being stored in a container.
• The pilot targeted a community of 21 households in Mohaddipur where open defecation was common and waterborne diseases were frequent. Economic incentives were a primary motivator for adoption, as 15 households are led by farmers who spend approximately INR 13,500 (€160) annually on insecticides and fertilizers.
• While the facility is used by almost all 21 families and has improved understanding of ecological sanitation among women and adolescents, the project faced challenges in establishing community ownership and sustainable funding for cleaning and maintenance.
• The project has gained local and governmental interest, leading to the replication of the ELTC system using state funds in a slum area in Bihar Sharif, the capital of Nalanda.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Piloting Enclosed Long-Term Composting in an Indian Village. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-mohaddipur.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Piloting Enclosed Long-Term Composting in an Indian Village. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-mohaddipur.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Piloting Enclosed Long-Term Composting in an Indian Village |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-mohaddipur.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014piloting, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Piloting Enclosed Long-Term Composting in an Indian Village}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-fs-2014-biharecosan-mohaddipur.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }