Anju Dwivedi

Anju Dwivedi
Social innovation in urban sanitation in India: Meeting unmet needs
While governmental efforts have contributed greatly to improving urban sanitation in the country and are much discussed in literature, systematic documentation and critical analysis of efforts made by nongovernmental institutions continues to be invisible in the discourse on sanitation and needs to be acknowledged, argues this book. Posted on 26 Jun, 2023 07:09 PM

Urban India continues to face the sanitation challenge and governmental efforts have contributed greatly to improving sanitation in the country. However, various non-governmental institutions have also experimented with innovative ideas in different regional contexts to meet the needs of the community and to ensure access to safe sanitation.

Urban sanitation, a growing challenge in India (Image Source: India Water Portal Flickr photos)
Women are pioneering inclusive water and sanitation services in urban poor settlements
Case of Dhenkanal, Odisha Posted on 28 Feb, 2023 07:16 PM

Across the world and in India, collective organisations run by and representing women have emerged as important platforms for demanding basic amenities like water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure and services.

Women-led community-based groups connect with the urban local body for issues related to solid waste collection and accessing desludging services for on-site sanitation systems. (Image: CPR)
Gender-sensitive water management: A cornerstone for equitable outcomes
Need to place "gender" at the centre of both international and national water and sanitation agenda Posted on 24 Aug, 2021 06:00 AM

Women and young girls fetching water from distant sources, walking miles, carrying loads on the head, some pots precariously placed at their waist is a familiar scene, especially in low and medium-income countries where water scarcity is high.

Women fetching water in Rajasthan (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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. Posted on 23 Dec, 2020 04:02 PM

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. Posted on 22 Dec, 2020 05:05 PM

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. Posted on 20 Dec, 2020 06:09 PM

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. Posted on 20 Dec, 2020 12:44 PM

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
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. Posted on 18 Dec, 2020 10:47 AM

Considering the overarching depen­dence on onsite sanitation systems, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), GoI launched the “National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management” in February 2017.

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)
Embracing planning for faecal sludge management: The tale of two towns
How to plan for and implement FSM related initiatives in small towns? Posted on 12 Dec, 2020 10:51 AM

Under Project Nirmal, a detailed planning process was undertaken for designing Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) interventions in Angul and Dhenkanal Municipalities based on the existing sanitation situation in the towns, the techno-economic feasibility as well as cap

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)
Generating demand for sanitation infrastructure
How to steer conversations and processes that help boost the motivation of community leaders to encourage better sanitation behaviour? Posted on 19 Oct, 2020 02:06 PM

Radharamanpada is an unauthorised slum in Angul with 300 houses. The president of the slum sanitation committee Janaki Sahu, a 28-year-old mother of four, runs a street food stall on the main road. There are seven women in the committee of eleven, working on sanitation solution for populations that remain underserved.

Project Nirmal uses appropriate communication inputs that help generate awareness about the impact of poor containment, collection, transportation and treatment systems on the environment among all stakeholders. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
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