Lucknow: SATO, a world famous low cost toilet, on Wednesday announced the launch of its innovative toilet in Uttar Pradesh to boost the Swachhta Abhiyan in the state. The product, which will cost between Rs 500 and Rs 800 will now be available across the state at the nearest sanitary ware shop. SATO is a first-of-its-kind line of innovative toilet and sanitation products specifically tailored for rural and peri-urban communities with difficulties accessing safe sanitation. The products are designed to automatically and reliably seal open-pit latrines with an innovative self-closing trap-door that minimizes odors and the passage of disease-carrying insects, making the toilet safer and more pleasant to use. Speaking at the launch, Jin Montesano, Chief Public Affairs Officer, LIXIL Group said, "The inception of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014 marked the beginning of a revolutionary mission in India.No other country around the world has taken such a decisive stand on sanitation and the need for toilets at this scale. We believe that our SATO technology will become a crucial part of India's struggle against open defecation." SATO innovative toilet solution has been designed in a way that it can save more than 16,000 litres of water annually for a family of five. Mr DaigoIshiyama, Director of Product Design, SATO said, "The P-trap used in the traditional toilets was the reason behind high consumption of water per flush (5 litres). This frequent intake of water caused the pit to fill up within a month. Our innovative technology used in the SATO system requires less than 500 ml of water per flush which ends up saving around 80% of the water. The innovative connecting box makes switching between two pits an easy task for any household." Mr Deepak Mitra, Regional Business Leader, South Asia, SATO added, "We have an extensive network of dealers and retailor across all districts of UP as this is a priority state for us. We believe that SATO will provide a toilet solution to the people of state that is easy to install and maintain." Mr Vishal Aneja, Global Business Leader, SATO,"SATO offers an innovative and sustainable solution to the people of Uttar Pradesh as we progress closer to the 2019 target of making India Open Defecation Free country under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan." In 2012, American Standard (one of the brands of LIXIL Corporation) received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for development of a low-cost toilet for pit latrines. This resulted in the launch of the original SATO pan. Since then, more than 12 lakh units of SATO products have been sold across 14 countries, worldwide including India, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Uganda, Kenya and Haiti. SATO has manufacturing license agreements in India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. LIXIL aims to improve access to sanitation and hygiene for 100 million people globally by 2020. SATO business unit is playing a key role in achieving this by strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and coverage by launching the SATO toilet system. The Company's vision fits with India's development goal of making the country Open Defecation Free by 2019 under the Swachh Bharat Mission. UNI
