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I hope they can figure this issue out. As a westerner who never considered not using a toilet, I'm having trouble understanding the pros and cons of using toil

I hope they can figure this issue out. As a westerner who never considered not using a toilet, I'm having trouble understanding the pros and cons of using toilets at all. What happens if a person defecates in the fields? Does this spread bacteria to other people living nearby, or people who eat crops grown in those fields? What are the beneficiaries of me using a toilet instead of the fields? My family? The people living nearby? Hopefully providing accurate information on these matters will help villagers make better choices.

jessaustin 12y ago
...never considered not using a toilet... I grew up in and have lived for long stretches in rural areas, so this seems very strange to admit. Have you never spent time in the wilderness? As for your questions, I'd say that a field where food is grown is among the worst places in which to defecate.
- bane 12y ago
  > I'd say that a field where food is grown is among the worst places in which to defecate. It wasn't all that uncommon (and may still be in some places) for people to use a removable catch in their outhouses so they can remove it and use it for fertilizer. I don't know about India, but I've seen traditional systems like this in various parts of Asia. I wouldn't recommend it today now that we know about germs and things. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if people defecated in their crop fields with some regularity since it's good for the plants.
  - jessaustin 12y ago
    My experience in gardening leads me to believe that "fresh" manure is actually not that great for plants. However, pile it up and let it stew for a year or two and you're left with good fertilizer. TBH, I've only used livestock manure for gardens, so perhaps human manure is different, but I rather doubt it.
ChrisNorstrom 12y ago
You do have a point. As long as they bury it a foot or so underground it's actually quite natural. Otherwise: 1) It builds up over time. Is easy to step on and cultivates bacteria and disease. 2) It runs off into streams, lakes, crop fields, water supplies. (normally, all animal feces does this. It increases the bacteria rate in lakes and streams by tiny amounts. But when humans do it en mass it creates problems.)
kolev 12y ago
I think defecating in the open is overall a cleaner approach, more sustainable, and the article doesn't go into details, but I'm sure those fields are not piles of excrements - I strongly believe people have found ways to do this cleanly over the ages so others don't step over feces, etc.

jessaustin 12y ago

...never considered not using a toilet... I grew up in and have lived for long stretches in rural areas, so this seems very strange to admit. Have you never spent time in the wilderness? As for your questions, I'd say that a field where food is grown is among the worst places in which to defecate.

bane 12y ago
> I'd say that a field where food is grown is among the worst places in which to defecate. It wasn't all that uncommon (and may still be in some places) for people to use a removable catch in their outhouses so they can remove it and use it for fertilizer. I don't know about India, but I've seen traditional systems like this in various parts of Asia. I wouldn't recommend it today now that we know about germs and things. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if people defecated in their crop fields with some regularity since it's good for the plants.
- jessaustin 12y ago
  My experience in gardening leads me to believe that "fresh" manure is actually not that great for plants. However, pile it up and let it stew for a year or two and you're left with good fertilizer. TBH, I've only used livestock manure for gardens, so perhaps human manure is different, but I rather doubt it.

ChrisNorstrom 12y ago

You do have a point. As long as they bury it a foot or so underground it's actually quite natural. Otherwise: 1) It builds up over time. Is easy to step on and cultivates bacteria and disease. 2) It runs off into streams, lakes, crop fields, water supplies. (normally, all animal feces does this. It increases the bacteria rate in lakes and streams by tiny amounts. But when humans do it en mass it creates problems.)

kolev 12y ago

I think defecating in the open is overall a cleaner approach, more sustainable, and the article doesn't go into details, but I'm sure those fields are not piles of excrements - I strongly believe people have found ways to do this cleanly over the ages so others don't step over feces, etc.