Summary

Karunguzhi Town Panchayat and the Municipality of Madurantakam rely predominantly on on-site treatment through septic tanks. Therefore, improvements in their operation and maintenance through regular de-sludging is crucial. As no mechanism had existed for collection and disposal of fecal sludge in Karunguzhi, it was necessary to institute a systematic process for periodic de-sludging, and to capture accurate data on households and volume of septage to be treated at the newly constructed treatment facility. A web-based application was developed to administer the de-sludging process in a systematic manner. This paper details the approach, application design and process, challenges and outcomes.