From dreams to reality - Compendium of best practices in rural sanitation in India - A document by the Water and Sanitation Programme and the Ministry of Rural Development

This compendium by the Water and Sanitation Programme and the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India  presents case studies about the achievements and experiences of different situations, institutional models, community mobilisation approaches, supply chain management techniques, capacity building methods, convergence of various programmes, school sanitation, innovative approaches etc from different states and regions in the country.

After a decade of launching the Total Sanitation Campaign, India has seen significant successes in terms of the sanitation coverage, creating open defecation communities/GPs and solid and liquid waste management. Thousands of success stories have emerged across the country while still there are many challenges in making the entire rural India Nirmal and sustaining the changes achieved.

As part of advocacy and capacity building through knowledge sharing, Govt of India with assistance from Water and Sanitation Program has brought out this document by compiling various best practices in achieving total sanitation at different levels. The main objectives of this initiative were:

• To identify and document the best practices in implementing rural sanitation programme at district/block/GP level and creating and sustaining ODF status
• Draw lessons for replications throughout the country by disseminating the best practices to achieve sustainable total sanitation.

The compendium is divided into the following chapters:

Village-level case studies

1. Sanitation: A Way of life
2. Bal Panchayats: An Ideal Example of Grassroots Democracy and Equity
3. Solid and Liquid Resource (Waste) Management
4. Improving Quality of Life
5. Sanitation is Dignity: Tribals in Malkangiri Show the Way
6. Community Mobilisation in a Tribal Community for Sanitation Behaviour Change
7. Female Sarpanch Achieves Total Sanitation
8. Innovative Initiative in Water and Sanitation
9. Women Create History: Village Made Open Defecation Free in Two Days
10. Community Mobilisation Leads to Open Defecation Free Status in Three Months
11. Community Surveillance of Water Sources and Sanitation Practices
12. From Sanitation to Governance and Overall Development
13. A Model for Community Participation in Development
14. Sanitation Success Stories

State/District-level case studies

1. Community Sanitary Complexes under Total Sanitation Campaign
2. Child Cabinets: Encouraging Children to Take Charge State-wide
3. Raising Clean Hands: An Innovative Initiative for Handwashing in Schools
4. Safai Karamcharis: Institutionalising Cleanliness
5. Dining Sheds: Hygiene, Equality and Dignity to Mid-day Meal
6. Hygiene Practices in Handling Mid-day Meals in Schools: Dining Shed in Nuan Primary School
7. Changing the Face of Rural Hygiene: Case Study of West Garo Hills
8. Journey to Zero Open Defecation
9. Best Practices in Rural Sanitation
10. Total Sanitation Campaign on Mission Mode
11. Community Led, Community Built, Community Owned
12. Waste to Wealth: An Experiment in Schools
13. Building Capacities and Conviction to Scale up Sanitation

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