Fecal Sludge Management
The National Urban Sanitation Policy adopted in 2008 emphasized the importance of sanitary and safe disposal of excreta and liquid waste. While the coverage of toilets is rapidly increasing with the government’s flagship program Swachh Bharat Mission, the remainder of sanitation service chain has received little attention. With almost all cities relying on on-site sanitation systems fully or partially, it is imperative that attention be diverted to fecal sludge management (FSM) needed for safe treatment and reuse or disposal to climb the final step in the new sanitation ladder and help the country achieve sanitation target under goal 6 of the SDGs. The proposed workshop at IIT Bombay aims to discuss the policy issues and practice challenges of FSM in India by bringing together policy makers, practitioners and academics.
The National Urban Sanitation Policy mandates local governments with the function of sanitation service provision. However, considering the resource constrained environment in which local governments operate, the state governments need to create an enabling environment, especially in small towns to implement FSM and one of the available routes is to partner with corporate philanthropic organizations. In this context, it is important to learn from policy makers, practitioners and decision makers from states that have taken a lead in encouraging and/or facilitating ULBs to implement FSM. Simultaneously, experiences of the city governments on implementation and the challenges faced could provide useful inputs to other cities and state governments.
This forum aims to provide a platform for decision makers from local, state and union governments to interact with practitioners and industry to deliberate upon the scope and challenges in planning and implementing FSM.
Workshop Sessions:
Session 1: Practices from Urban Local Bodies
Session 2: Creating enabling environment for Local Governments
Session 3: Opportunities and challenges for solution providers
Session 4: Way Forward
See the event brochure here.