Urban Sanitation

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July 6, 2021
Billions lack access to WASH services
If trends persist, billions will be left without critical, life-saving WASH services, says a SDG monitoring report
Between 2016 and 2020, the global population with safely managed drinking water at home increased from 70% to 74% (Image: Pxhere)
April 13, 2021
Swacchagrahis: The frontline workers of India's largest sanitation program
There is a need for long term sustained engagement of the skilled workforce for water and sanitation
Swachhagrahis are the motivators for bringing about behaviour change concerning key sanitation practices in rural India. (Image: SBM)
December 28, 2020
Sanitation workers amid the pandemic
The pandemic has exacerbated the issues of exclusion and vulnerability of sanitation workers.
Despite the risks and the dire conditions of their work, sanitation workers continued to do their job (Image: C S Sharada Prasad, India Water Portal)
December 20, 2020
Putting faecal sludge management on track
The cost and revenue projections for both on-demand and scheduled desludging scenarios were elaborated upon in the faecal sludge management plan for Dhen­kanal Municipality.
Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant at Dhenkanal, Odisha
December 18, 2020
Faecal sludge management policy environment for small towns: Taking a wider view
Project Nirmal helped Odisha to become a front runner among states with a comprehensive policy framework on faecal sludge management.
Odisha is trying to fa­cilitate adoption of FSM by Urban Local Bodies so that sewage, septage/ faecal sludge, and liquid waste is safely managed, treated, and dis­posed. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
December 12, 2020
Embracing planning for faecal sludge management: The tale of two towns
How to plan for and implement FSM related initiatives in small towns?
Project Nirmal demonstrates appropriate, low-cost, decentralized, inclusive and sustainable sanitation service delivery solutions for two small towns (Angul and Dhenkanal) in Odisha. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
This year's India Smart Cities Awards goes to UP, Surat, Indore, Chandigarh!
News this fortnight Swati Bansal posted 1 week 4 days ago

UP, Surat, Indore, Chandigarh become winners of India Smart Cities Awards Contest 2020
Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Billions lack access to WASH services
If trends persist, billions will be left without critical, life-saving WASH services, says a SDG monitoring report

 Amita Bhaduri posted 2 weeks 3 days ago

A UNICEF-WHO Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report on drinking water and sanitation indicates that billions of people will lack access safely

Between 2016 and 2020, the global population with safely managed drinking water at home increased from 70% to 74% (Image: Pxhere)
Challenges in planning faecal sludge management systems
Containment design and construction deviations from norms impact sanitation chain Amita Bhaduri posted 1 month 3 weeks ago

Sanitation targets for SDG 6 can only be met if the focus expands from just access to the full cycle of sanitation – access, conveyance, treatment and re-use.
Empty faecal sludge drying bed (Image: Lars Schoebitz; Flickr Commons)
Swacchagrahis: The frontline workers of India's largest sanitation program
There is a need for long term sustained engagement of the skilled workforce for water and sanitation Amita Bhaduri posted 3 months 1 week ago

There is good evidence that frontline workers have proved to be gamechanger in the delivery of services like health and integrated child development services (ICDS).
Swachhagrahis are the motivators for bringing about behaviour change concerning key sanitation practices in rural India. (Image: SBM)
India gets its first wetland conservation centre
Policy matters this week Swati Bansal posted 5 months 1 week ago

Country’s first wetland conservation centre set up on World Wetland Day
Deepor beel, Assam (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Sanitation workers amid the pandemic
The pandemic has exacerbated the issues of exclusion and vulnerability of sanitation workers. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 months 3 weeks ago

Sanitation workers are out in full force tasked with disinfecting the public spaces as COVID-19 crisis continues to impact the country on top of other serious challenges faced by our WASH sector.
Despite the risks and the dire conditions of their work, sanitation workers continued to do their job (Image: C S Sharada Prasad, India Water Portal)
Land and environmental approvals needed for faecal sludge treatment facilities
There is an urgent need for specific guidelines and rules for the selection of sites for setting up faecal sludge treatment facilities. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 months ago

Despite an enabling framework for implementation of Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) initiatives, there exists a vacuum concerning specific guidelines/rules for the selection of sites for setting up of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs).
The site for the FSTP should be able to accommodate pres­ent and anticipated future requirements. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
Getting communities engaged in faecal sludge management
Community engagement structures, espe­cially at the slum and ward level, can take on roles with adequate capacity building and training inputs. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 months ago

Gyanchand Mishra, Councillor of Ward 3, is the President of the Ward Sanitation Committee (WSC) and is also a member of the City Sanitation Task Force (CSTF).
Community engagement structures at the slum level have ensured that the most mar­ginalized and vulnerable sections of a city, that is, the slum communities now have a voice. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
Strengthening institutional arrangements for faecal sludge management
Project Nirmal created sub-city level (slum and ward) engagement structures to enable meaningful participation of all house­holds, in the planning and management of sanitation service delivery. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 months ago

Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) has close linkages with a variety of development themes such as environment, health and human rights.
An assessment at the beginning of Project Nirmal indicated the absence of institutional mechanisms for effec­tive coordination and collaboration among the various government departments across state, district and local levels (Image: SuSanA Secretariat)
Putting faecal sludge management on track
The cost and revenue projections for both on-demand and scheduled desludging scenarios were elaborated upon in the faecal sludge management plan for Dhen­kanal Municipality. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 months ago

To fully leverage the health, well-being and environmental benefits of improved sani­tation access provision of safe, economical and sustainable emptying, transportation and treat­ment facilities for faecal waste become impera­tive.
Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant at Dhenkanal, Odisha
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