Human excreta are naturally rich in soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The amount of excreta produced
by a single person is sufficient to account for all the
fertilizers used in a mid sized field. And India’s entire population can produce six million tones of soil nutrients – one third of the total fertilizer requirement in the country. In days gone by, many farmers used cow dung and human waste as manure – now, they are beginning to spray urine upon food crops as well. Without compromising on the crop yield, they are thus able to save upon the cost of fertilizers.
Some NGOs are spearheading the campaign to bring about this change. They have even introduced ecological sanitation toilets for the community. But the going has not been easy, as these NGOs have had to create public awareness among the people – and motivate them with regards to the commercial benefits that are involved.
The compost - composed of faeces and urine - improves the organic content and water holding capacity of the soil (the soil fertility). And the need for using costly chemical fertilizers has been eliminated altogether. Besides meeting the growing shortfall in the demand for chemical fertilizers, the production of natural fertilizers is also considered necessary to improve public health and sanitation.