As part of the Global Sanitation Summit, attendees were given the opportunity to visit the Lubhu Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP), located at Mahalaxmi Municipality. This FSTP serves as a key demonstration site for converting waste into valuable resources. The tour included 25 participants from various countries, highlighting innovative waste management practices and offering a practical learning experience.

During the visit, Mr. Sunil Krishna Shrestha, Secretariat of Saligram Bal Griha, provided an overview of the plant’s operations. The plant operator, Mr. Surya Prasad Ghimire, detailed the treatment process and the uses of by-products such as biogas, treated water, and compost. Additionally, Mr. Buddha Bajracharya, Programme Coordinator at ENPHO, facilitated the visit and explained the step-by-step treatment process, which includes faecal sludge transportation, biogas digestion, gravel filtration, along with regular effluent quality testing. He also presented the quality testing results of effluent and dried sludge, capturing the participants’ interest.

During the visit to the FSTP, participants engaged in an active discussion seeking detailed information on various aspects of the plant’s operations. They were particularly interested in the operational costs, the quantity of faecal sludge collected, and the fees charged for sludge tipping and visitor access. They were especially interested in how the vegetables grown on-site were used.

The participants expressed their delight in seeing a functional demonstration FSTP located in the center of a residential area. They appreciated the practical showcase of waste-to-resource transformation. As a token of their appreciation, many participants made voluntary contributions in the form of visitor fees. Additionally, some participants left heartfelt messages in a guestbook placed at the FSTP, reflecting their positive experiences during the visit.

The Global Sanitation Summit was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with WaterAid and other development partners. The event, held from June 25-27, 2024, aimed to raise the profile of sanitation, promote greater alignment among sector stakeholders to support actions on sanitation, and facilitate knowledge exchange and learning among countries.