A decade ago, if you went on a trek in the Himalayas, catholes were used to dispose of human waste on all trails. With more people taking up trekking, the practice of digging shallow toilet pits (one pit for a batch of 15-20 trekkers) became common practice.
More recently, deeper pits (one or two pits for an entire season- aka 1000 to 1500 trekkers) are being dug on many of the popular Himalayan trails.
Proponents of the deep pit method argue that it is the sensible way to handle increasing crowds on trails. There are three reasons they cite:
Deep Toilet Pits occupy lesser surface area than shallow pits- hence they preserve more soil and vegetation cover.
They retain more heat and hence decompose faster than shallow pits.
Using carbon accelerators, like cocopeat and sawdust, further speeds up the decomposition process.
This explanation, however, has not convinced officials, local authorities and trekkers alike. Everyone is disturbed and distressed by what looks like an alarming trend in high altitude trekking in India.
As a result, there are varied arguments floating around on the internet right now.
Clearly, the problem has been growing deeper and larger with time. Pun intended.
































