2. Introduction
Environmental sanitation envisages promotion of health of the community by providing clean
environment and breaking the cycle of disease. It depends on various factors that include hygiene status of
the people, types of resources available, innovative and appropriate technologies according to the
requirement of the community, socioeconomic development of the country, cultural factors related to
environmental sanitation, political commitment, capacity building of the concerned sectors, social factors
including behavioral pattern of the community, legislative measures adopted, and others.
India is still lagging far behind many countries in the
field of environmental sanitation. The unsanitary conditions are appalling in India and need a great
sanitary awakening similar to what took place in London in the mid-19th century. Improvement in
sanitation requires newer strategies and targeted interventions with follow-up evaluation. The need of the
hour is to identify the existing system of environmental sanitation with respect to its structure and
functioning and to prioritize the control strategies according to the need of the country. These priorities
are particularly important because of issue of water constraints, environment-related health problems,
rapid population growth, inequitable distribution of water resources, issues related to administrative
problems, urbanization and industrialization, migration of population, and rapid economic growth.
3. In 2008, 88% of the population in India had access to an improved water source, but
only 31% had access to improved sanitation. In rural areas, where 72% of India’s
population lives, the respective shares are 84% for water and only 21% for sanitation. In
urban areas, 96% had access to an improved water source and 54% to improved
sanitation. Access has improved substantially since 1990 when it was estimated to stand at
72% for water and 18% for sanitation.
In 2010, the UN estimated based on Indian statistics that 626 million people practice
open defecation. In June 2012 Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh stated India
is the worlds largest "open air toilet". He also remarked that Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan have better sanitation records. According to Indian norms, access to
improved water supply exists if at least 40 liters/capita/day of safe drinking water are
provided within a distance of 1.6 km or 100 meter of elevation difference, to be relaxed as
per field conditions. There should be at least one pump per 250 persons.
7. Challenges
1.Prevention of contamination of water in distribution systems,
2.Growing water scarcity and the potential for water reuse and conservation,
3.Implementing innovative low-cost sanitation system
4.Providing sustainable water supplies and sanitation for urban and semiurban areas
5.Reducing disparities within the regions in the country
6.Sustainability of water and sanitation services.
The public health challenge inherent in meeting the MDG
targets is ensuring that improvements result in access to water and sanitation for the
critical at-risk populations. Innovative approaches are required to ensure the availability
of low-cost, simple, and locally acceptable water and sanitation interventions and
integrating these approaches into existing social institutions such as schools, markets, and
health facilities.
8. INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
๐The agriculture sector accounts for between 90 and 95% of surface and ground water in India, whileindustry and the domestic
sector account for the remaining.
๐ On the water resources management front,the NationalWater Policy, 2002 recognizes the need for well-developedinformation
systemsat the national and state levels,places strong emphasis on nonconventional methods for utilizationsuch as interbrain
transfers,artificialrecharge, desalinationof brackish or sea water,as wellas traditionalwater conservation practices such as
rainwaterharvesting,etc., to increase utilizablewater resources.
๐ Water resources also advocates watershed management through extensive soil conservation, catchment area treatment,
preservation of forests,and increasing forest cover and the construction of check dams.
๐The policy also recognizes the potential need to reorganize and reorient institutionalarrangements for the sector and emphasizes
the need to maintainexisting infrastructure.
๐ Water resources is importantto reiteratethe need for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation[RWSS] and Urban Water Supply and
Sanitation[UWSS] agencies to operate hand-in-hand withtheir health and education counterpartsto jointlymonitor indicators of
RWSS, UWSS, health, education, poverty, and equity in order to make significantheadway in the respectivesectors.
๐Existinghealth promotion and education programmes should be made more effectiveand geared toward achieving behavior
changes needed to improvehygiene.
9. Urban Sanitation° Percent of urban population without propersanitation in India is 63%.
° Although investment in water supply and sanitationis likely tosee a jump of 21% in the 11th plan over the
10th plan, the targets do not take into account both the qualityof water being provided, or the sustainability
of systems being put in place.
° Increasing emphasis on use of information technology applicationsin urban governanceand management
to ensure quick access to information,planning, and decision supportsystems are the primary concern
areas related to environmentalsanitation.
° Solid waste management is also increasinglyseen as an important area in UWSS. Legislation on
municipal waste handling andmanagement has been passed in October 2000.
° Some strategieson solid waste management includepreparationof town-wise master plans, training of
municipal staff, IEC and awareness generation, involvement of community-based and nongovernmental
organizations, setting up and operationof compost plants via NGOs and the private sector, enhancement of
the capacitiesof some state structures such as State Compost Development Corporationswith emphasis on
commercial operationsand private sector involvement.
° Variationsin housing type, density and settlement layout, poverty status, and access to networked services
will lead to different solutionsfor sanitationin different partsof the city or within the same neighborhood.
10. Existing policies and regulations
• The responsibilityfor water supply and sanitation at the central and state level is shared by various
Ministries. At the central level three Ministries have responsibilities in the sector:
• The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (until2011 the Department of Drinking Water Supply in the
Ministry of Rural Development) is responsible for rural water supply and sanitation;
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation and the Ministry of Urban Development share the responsibility forurban water supply and
sanitation.
• National Urban Sanitation Policy:In November 2008 the government of India launcheda national urban
sanitation policy with the goal of creating what it calls "totally sanitized cities"that are open-defecation free,
safely collect and treat all their wastewater, eliminate manual scavengingand collect anddispose solid waste
safely.
•As of 2010, 12 states were in the process of elaboratingor had completed state sanitationstrategies on the
basis of the policy. 120 citiesare in the process of preparing city sanitation plans.
• About 40% of the cities were in the "red category" (in need of immediate remedial action), more than 50%
were in the "black category" (needingconsiderable improvement)and only a handful of citieswere in the "blue
category" (recovering). Not a single city was included inthe "green category"(healthy andclean city).
11. Budgets Allotted Before
Water and sewer tariffs
• In India are low in both urban and rural areas. In urban areas they were set at the equivalent of about US$0.10 per
cubic meter in 2007 and recovered about 60% of operating and maintenance costs, withlarge differencesbetween
cities.
• In rural areas the level of cost recovery often is even lower than in urban areas and was estimatedat only 20% in
rural Punjab. Subsidies were estimatedat US$1.1 billionper year in the mid-1990s, accounting to 4% of all
government subsidies in India. 70% of those benefitingfrom the subsidies are not poor.
• According to the results of a Service Level Benchmarking (SLB) Program carried out by the Ministryof Urban
Developmentin 2006 in 28 cities,the share of meteringwas 50 percent.
•According to a 1999 survey of 300 citiesabout 62% of urban water customers in metropolitanareas and 50% in
smallercities are metered (average 55%). Users of stand posts receive water free of charge.
• A2007 study of 20 citiesby the Jawaharlal Nehru NationalUrban Renewal Mission withthe support of the Asian
DevelopmentBank (ADB) showed that only 25% of customers of these utilitieswere metered.Most other customers
paid a flat tariffindependent of consumption. Some utilities,such as the one serving Kolkata,actuallydo not bill
residentialusers at all.
12. Conclusion
Implementation of low-cost sanitation system with lower subsidies, greater household involvement,
range of technology choices, options for sanitary complexesfor women, rural drainage systems,
IEC and awareness building, involvement of NGOs and local groups, availabilityof finance,
human resource development, and emphasis on school sanitation are the important areas to be
considered. Also appropriateforms of private participation and public private partnerships,
evolution of a sound sector policy in Indian context, and emphasis on sustainability with political
commitment are prerequisites to bring the change.
