From M. Kullappa, Water and Sanitation Program-South Asia, New Delhi
Posted 31 August 2010
After a decade of launching the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), India has seen significant successes in terms of the sanitation coverage, creating open defecation free communities/GPs and solid and liquid waste management. Though numerous success stories have emerged across the country there are still many challenges in making all of rural India “Nirmal”, and sustaining the changes achieved.
As part of advocacy and capacity-building through knowledge sharing, Govt of India plans to document the best practices in the country in terms of achieving total sanitation in a sustainable manner. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Government of India, has requested the Water and Sanitation Program South-Asia (WSP-SA) to document best practices and prepare a compendium in implementing rural sanitation.
The main objectives of the assignment are (a) to identify and document the best practices in implementing rural sanitation program at district/block/GP level and creating and sustaining ODF status (b) draw lessons for replications throughout the country by disseminating the best practices. You can get the format for reporting here (ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/wes/cr/res-06081001.pdf)
Accordingly, we have developed the following criteria for identifying best practices:
- Should be implemented at scale rather than a pilot project or ‘pocket of excellence’
- Should be sustainable and in operation for at least one year
- Should demonstrate community participation and use of local resources and capacity
- If the best practice is located in a village awarded the Nirmal Gram Puraskar, this is an advantage
I request members of the Water Community to provide the following information:
- What best practices in sustainable sanitation have you personally come across? Please provide as many details including the process, participants, outcomes, area or population covered and location
- Please mention specifically what made this practice sustainable
We will compile and submit these to DDWS for including in their report.
Please see attachment below for the responses.