Problem Identification:
Based on the provided data, investigations and feedback regarding facilities and services
“Cleanliness issue” can be pointed out as the major problem faced by the students. Several
factors are responsible for deteriorating the cleanliness aspect of washrooms on Bangladesh
University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) campus.
Cleanliness Issue:
1. Inefficient management: The survey result conducted by Environment Watch Club,
BUET reveals that 72.22% of water taps and 73.33% of toilets are in dirty condition. This
reflects the malpractice of not cleaning the washrooms regularly.
2. Lack of handwashing facility: The data suggest that in 50% of cases, proper handwashing
facilities were not found. This is due to either a lack of appropriate fixtures a lack of
handwashing liquids or both.
3. Inadequate & Imperfect fixtures: The number of essential fixtures like basin, commode,
urinal etc. are not adequate as compared to the large number of users. Moreover, a
notable portion of these available fixtures are broken or somehow not useable. This
inadequacy makes it impossible to maintain hygiene and cleanliness. The lack of working
fixtures in the washrooms are also a major concern here. As for instance: the dirtiness of
collection pan in commodes refers to somewhat an inefficient flush system.
4. Less Automation in Cleaning: The modern world is pacing towards automation and the
sanitation part is not deprived of it. Automation in sanitation can also help a long way in
some cases as it can ensure timely cleaning and less dependence on labour of cleaners,
provides a relief to the man-management.
Waste Management Issue:
1. Insufficient water supply: A very common scenario in the washrooms is - clogged sink,
commode, and pan. Waste material needs water with appropriate volume and velocity to
be flushed and carried to the sewerage system but lack of enough cleaning water leads to
waste clogging.
2. Lack of trash bins: The waste clogging issue can be lessened if there is provision for trash
disposal system. Unfortunately, the washrooms do not have enough trash bins. As a
result, some trashes are disposed of directly creating problem like clogging of sewerage
pipes.
Proposed Solutions:
The solutions can be listed as follows:
Management based:
Increase the number of manual cleaning tools
Appoint requisite number of cleaners with job permannacy
Ensure a proper scheduling for cleaning toilet manually
Arranging trash bins with lids
Ventilation Arrangement within the washroom
Addition of fragrance enhancing device
Clear visible mirror addition
The automation and innovation based solutions are mentioned in the Innovation and
sustainability section.
Innovation and Sustainability:
Automatic Soap Dispenser:
A touchless device which works by placing the hand under the dispenser’s spout.
Generally, it uses IR sensors to detect the presence or motion of human body
parts within a certain range. It’s usually operated by rechargeable battery. It can
contain liquid or foam in the form of soap.
For basin, portable one’s can be used and for toilets, wall-mounted one’s will be
better.
Automatic Faucets:
These incorporate both touchless or slight touch activated water taps, which can
be installed in the BUET washrooms. If touchless, these faucets will incorporate
sensors which will allow water to be flown at a specific pressure in response to
the presence or motion of human body parts at a close proximity to water taps.
Automatic Flushers:
There are certain types of toilet flushers. Among them the following touchless
ones will be a better choice than others.
The relevant pictures of automatic flusher connection are as follows:
In long term, these innovations will help in the implementation of the 6th goal of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) i.e. Clean Water and Sanitation. And automations should be
selected in such a way that they ensure a long service life, they are replaceable if required.
Justification to Solutions & Methodology:
Automatic soap dispenser, automatic faucets and automatic flushers: all these
automations will ensure that no touch is required to operate those devices. According to
the cleaners and statistics, over usage of washroom facilities undoubtedly puts a lot of
pressure on those facilities and thus anything touchless will ensure the longevity of
fixtures.
Automation will reduce the pressure on the manual labor and on the working hour.
Any fragrance enhancing device will eventually help the ventilation system even if
proper ventilation is not possible to accommodate.
Addition of clear and visible mirror will enhance the effectiveness of washroom facilities.
A proper scheduling (for instance: at the beginning of the day and from then when the
class goes on, at an interval of two hours) will definitely help to ensure highest
cleanliness. For scheduling the peak time of using washroom has to be recorded.
Summary
The primary issue affecting students at Bangladesh University of Engineering &
Technology (BUET) revolves around cleanliness problems in campus washrooms,
exacerbated by inadequate management and insufficient facilities. BUET’s washroom
concerns are basically cleanliness Issue and waste management Issue. Cleanliness issues
rooted in inefficient management, insufficient hand washing facilities, broken fixtures,
and limited automation in sanitation upkeep. Waste management challenges include
frequent clogging due to insufficient water supply for proper flushing and a shortage of
trash bins, leading to direct disposal and sewerage pipe clogging. Implementing effective
management practices and adopting automated cleaning technologies can effectively
resolve these issues. Regarding automation technology, installations of Automatic Soap
Dispensers, Automatic Faucets, and Automatic Flushers are being considered.
Nevertheless, the installation of automation technologies alone will not resolve the
issues without proper management and students’ commitment to maintaining
cleanliness.