"As privileged urban Indians, we often take water for granted, assuming it to be a readily available commodity. We don’t even travel somewhere if the toilet isn’t 'nice'.

Aditi holds a Master's in Infrastructure Planning from CEPT University and a Bachelor's in Physical Planning from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. She joined the Centre for Water and Sanitation in 2015, leading communication activities and supporting projects related to digital technologies for improving WASH services. With experience in various areas including faecal sludge management, water security, and capacity building, she provides support to different city and state programs.

Aditi recalls that her perspective towards water and sanitation was first challenged, during her time at CEPT University in Gujarat, when she was introduced to WSH during a studio. Her early experiences in WSH during her degree made her question the assumptions she had always had throughout her life. It was due to this exposure that Aditi came to appreciate the unimaginable effort that goes behind making WSH services accessible.

Aditi firmly believes that the need to access sanitation is universal. Using a toilet is a common experience, shared by all, it is an essential part of being human. A core tenet of her work has remained that everyone should receive at least basic sanitation services, human health and dignity must never be compromised. She finds it especially distressing when she witnesses girls being forced to drop out of school due to the lack of hygienic toilets or when families are unable to construct household toilets simply because they face challenges in obtaining the necessary permits. She is persistent to uphold that these challenges should never become a hindrance to someone’s personal development.

As part of her work with the Centre for Water and Sanitation, Aditi has worked on demonstrating how cities have the potential to deliver and sustain high quality sanitation services by employing low-cost solutions. They demonstrated this through models they researched and implemented in Wai and Sinnar. The Wai-Sinnar model pioneered the implementation of citywide scheduled emptying of septic tank service. The success of the models was instrumental in developing state-wide guidelines in Maharashtra. Further, through their involvement with the NFSSM Alliance, they were able to take these guidelines to the national level as well. Being part of a like-minded group has provided greater credibility when advocating for ideas. Aditi finds that being part of a diverse group of practitioners and hearing from people from different states like Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh who have faced unique challenges and maneuvered them differently enriches her understanding of the problem at hand.

Aveek is the Sanitation Mission Leader at eGovernments Foundation. He has 28 years of consulting and business transformation experience in the corporate sector and has spent the last 10 years in the social sector in leadership roles working in initiatives at the intersection of technology and social change. He has led large-scale transformational programs in rural India and Africa. Aveek is an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, and a Salzburg Global Fellow.

Aveek advocates that every individual must have the opportunity to access safe sanitation facilities when and where they need it; it is a basic human right. Compromised access to safe water and sanitation disproportionately impacts marginalized communities’ health and ability to participate in economic activity. The urgent need to address this draws him to work towards inclusive sanitation outcomes, his motivation further emboldened when he sees the passion of young individuals dedicating a significant portion of their lives to WSH.

The ‘sheer complexity’ of the sanitation ecosystem has both intrigued and driven Aveek to work in this sector. In the sanitation value chain, he could see different actors, each with a unique role to play – from citizens, ULB officials, private operators to FSTP operators. However, to understand what is really happening in the system, he considers that it is critical to have visibility across the entire service chain, which is currently missing. When data is digitally recorded and analyzed, it gives a comprehensive understanding of gaps at each level. For instance, he says, "there’s no record of how long waste takes to be disposed of at a Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant after being picked up from a household. But if we are to ensure safe and timely disposal of waste, we must define a Service Level Agreement and service providers need to adhere to time limits."

With Digital Public Goods (DPGs) being increasingly recognized as a solution, Aveek is working directly with the government in deploying ‘DIGIT’ for systemic changes in WSH. DIGIT is eGovernments’ open-source service delivery and governance platform, customizable across different states and needs. It brings together disjointed parts of the service delivery process through a common platform, enabling data collection and assessing areas of improvement in the service chain.

Aveek and his team piloted the platform in 3 ULBs in Odisha and expanded to 37 within 6 months. To train ULBs on the use of the platform, they partnered with the Odisha Water Academy and identified master trainers. During training sessions, Aveek found himself feeling energized by the participants’ enthusiasm to make a mundane activity exciting through interactive gameification. The participants left with a solid understanding of how to use the platform, inspiring the confidence that a statewide scale-up of the platform is possible.

Aveek recounts that the DIGIT- FSM platform was built after several consultations with the Centre for Policy Research and WASH Institute, helping them bring greater accountability and transparency to sanitation service delivery. In fact, CPR can now utilize the data collected using DIGIT FSM to support the government on data-driven policy making. Similarly, WASHi is looking at exploring ways to embed the digital infrastructure at a national and state level.

To learn more about Digital Public Goods in WSH, read here: Link

Subrata Chakraborty, a Senior Programme Manager in the Water Programme at CSE, began his journey from the bustling urban streets of Kolkata. A Master's degree in economics in 1999 marked the start of Subrata’s career in the social development sector. In his early years he was working with an NGO in eastern India, primarily focusing on education and integration. As time passed, he ventured into rural development, working with the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Development Departments. These initial experiences offered him an eye-opening realization about the disparities in accessing clean water and sanitation between urban and rural areas.

Growing up in Kolkata, Subrata assumed that amenities like clean drinking water and proper sanitation were available for most citizens. However, his perspective shifted drastically once he started working in the sector and moved to rural areas where these basic necessities were scarce. The experience of witnessing the challenges people faced in rural communities left an indelible mark on Subrata. He spent the next 11 years dedicated to improving sanitation and water resources. These efforts allowed him to understand the complex challenges of sanitation, including issues related to toilets, clean water, and wastewater management. His work in areas grappling with problems like arsenic contamination, high salinity, and inadequate sanitation facilities led to profound insights and motivation.

In 2016, Subrata transitioned to becoming a consultant at the World Bank, where he played a pivotal role in supporting the governments of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana in implementing sanitation initiatives. Throughout his journey, Subrata has collected anecdotes that shed light on the behavioral aspects of sanitation. He shared a story from 2017 when he was working in a village in Purulia, West Bengal. Subrata assumed that toilet usage would solve challenges of privacy that rural communities have faced due to open defecation. Hence, to promote toilet usage, Subrata had encouraged the installation of doors for privacy. However, he was surprised to discover that the villagers had placed steel see-through grills on the toilet cubicles instead of solid doors. Recognizing this disparity, it became imperative for him not only to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges, rooted in systemic inequalities, but also to initiate conversations with them. Addressing concepts of rights and privacy became crucial in empowering these communities to lead improved lives. 

His journey from integrated village development to the sanitation sector was marked by his vision for a holistic approach to sanitation where he broadened his focus to include fecal sludge management, greywater management, blackwater management, and solid waste management, recognizing that sanitation extended far beyond just building toilets. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Subrata to return to Kolkata and take on a new opportunity with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). At CSE, he leads the Water Programme, a position that allowed him to make an impact not only on sanitation but also water management, lake rejuvenation, and solid waste management. Subrata's work at CSE underscores the holistic approach to sanitation he has consistently advocated for.

Subrata emphasizes 3 key aspects to inclusive sanitation. First, he believes that sanitation should be accessible to all people, irrespective of the marginalization they face from society and their communities. Second, he stressed on the importance of ensuring equitable and affordable services. The economics of pricing for various sanitation services was a significant consideration. Finally, Subrata highlighted the interconnectedness of sanitation with broader development goals, including water management, climate initiatives, and employment generation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

As part of CSE, Subrata also got the opportunity to be a part of the the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance. He found the alliance to be a community of like-minded individuals who come together to address common and complex challenges in the sanitation sector. He appreciates the culture of mutual learning and shared advocacy tools developed by the Alliance. He recalls his experiences working with government officials from Odisha and Tamil Nadu. These interactions allowed him to coordinate efforts with organizations like the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, to promote collaborative learning. This collaboration extended to supporting government officials from different states in their visits. 

Subrata's vision for the sanitation sector is to address the challenge of sustaining sanitation infrastructure and ensure that the institutional and regulatory frameworks are strengthened. He aims to enhance people's participation and build a robust regulatory structure to make the infrastructure operationally sustainable. Subrata Chakraborty's journey in the sanitation sector is a testament to his commitment and the transformative power of holistic approaches to address India's sanitation challenges. His work at CSE and contributions to the NFSSM Alliance continue to drive positive change in the field of sanitation.

Kavita Wankhade, Head - Practice (Governance & Services) & Associate Dean - School of Systems and Infrastructure, works at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, a national education institution committed to the equitable, sustainable, and efficient transformation of Indian urban settlements. She has worked as a researcher, project manager and educator. A strong advocate of inclusive planning, Kavita’s work specifically focuses on the overall wellbeing of sanitation workers, looking at their occupational safety, welfare, health, and livelihoods. 

She believes inclusive sanitation embodies the principle of "Leaving no one behind," ensuring safe sanitation not only for the public, but also for sanitation workers. Kavita has been driven by an overarching endeavour to bridge the academia-industry divide and foster a holistic understanding of urban development challenges and solutions. In her 17+ years of practice, Kavita has witnessed a positive shift in the sector's priorities where the focus has transitioned from merely achieving access, to a comprehensive approach, with a welcome emphasis on the "entire sanitation value chain". She believes that this shift has also embraced multifaceted and intersectional solutions, fostering a broader perspective on inclusion, which encompasses the urban poor, gender dynamics, and sanitation worker welfare.

In her capacity as the Project Director of Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP), she has been supporting the state of Tamil Nadu to scale up Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) across 649 urban local bodies and implement City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) at Trichy, focusing on inclusive sanitation service delivery for all. Notably, TNUSSP influenced the Government of Tamil Nadu to enhance governance mechanisms by amending the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act to include a chapter on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and revise operative guidelines based on on-ground evidence. TNUSSP has also been well known for its remarkable Behaviour Change and Communication (BCC) Campaign for FSM in Tamil Nadu - ‘Kakkaman’, a friendly character aiming to reposition sanitation as an aspirational topic for all stakeholders in the state. Besides these innovative initiatives, capacity building of stakeholders, behavior change, and communication efforts have been key elements in their contributions. Kavita's work in TNUSSP has successfully demonstrated various models for inclusive sanitation, making a substantial impact on the sector. 

She appreciates the NFSSM Alliance for allowing her to stay connected with sector professionals through meetings, convenings, and conferences, fostering solidarity and cross-learning. Kavita has actively contributed to this national alliance where she has facilitated learning through exposure visits and ensured that she shared the Tamil Nadu model with other states in the Alliance. 

Kavita's aspirations for the sector and the Alliance are aligned with the mission of scaling safe and inclusive sanitation to all cities and towns in India. Her vision encompasses the dream of making inclusive sanitation a reality for all, ensuring that no one is left behind. 

Jojo Mehra, a seasoned professional in the technology space, embarked on his journey during the nascent days of the internet in India, pioneering digital start-ups like rediff.com and Yoomedia Plc. and co-founded a shared accommodation platform and an HR-Tech startup. His foray into the development sector began only around 8-9 years ago, when his curiosity led him to explore how digital technologies could be harnessed to address societal challenges. He began to immerse himself in understanding the complex challenges of the society and the potential to leverage technology for effective solutions. This journey took him through some pro bono work within the development sector, and a return to school for further knowledge where he pursued a master's programme in Technology Governance and Digital Transformation from the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia). 

Jojo recognises the growing appreciation of the power of digital public infrastructure in India and its relevance across various sectors. He believes that the sanitation sector is poised for transformation through digital public infrastructure, and he is determined to drive this change. Jojo’s involvement in the sanitation sector was kick-started by his work at eGov Foundation, a philanthropic mission that creates open digital infrastructure and ecosystems, to enable city administrations to deliver services that are accessible, affordable, and inclusive. Their approach involves leveraging digital public infrastructure, building state capacity, and catalyzing market ecosystems to address complex challenges within the sanitation sector. Over the past few years, the sector has witnessed the expansion of their work. At a crucial point, eGov Foundation launched the DIGIT Platform which was meant to enable good service delivery by engaging with all key stakeholders including citizens, government employees, vendors, administrators and policy makers to collaborate and exchange information in real time. The platform was taken to Odisha for faecal sludge management as part of the ‘Sustainable Urban services in a Jiffy by Odisha Government (SUJOG) program. Their current focus is on catalyzing a nationwide scale-up of this open-source platform by collaborating with multiple partners in the ecosystem.

He emphasizes the collaborative nature of this space, where multiple stakeholders come together to address various aspects of sanitation. Inclusivity, in his view, necessitates collaboration across multiple dimensions to make safe sanitation easily accessible to all. Being part of the NFSSM Alliance has been an enlightening experience for Jojo. He appreciates the energy and dedication that different individuals and organizations bring to the sanitation sector. He particularly mentions the pivotal role played by the WASH Institute, whose interactions were instrumental in shaping his understanding of sanitation and influencing his approach to solving related challenges.

Jojo's journey in the digital realm has transitioned into a quest for inclusive sanitation, driven by the goal of leaving no one behind. His aspirations for the sector and the NFSSM Alliance include catalyzing a nationwide transformation in sanitation by leveraging digital infrastructure, creating a future where safe and sustainable sanitation services are easily accessible to all.

Before landing in WSH, Aasim used to work for a construction company in Mumbai. Wanting to do something more meaningful that leaves behind a lasting impact, he decided to pursue Town Planning from CEPT University. Urban services, like water and sanitation, fascinated Aasim and led him to join the Centre for Water and Sanitation (CWAS), where he has been for 13 years. Through his experience, he has come to recognize WSH services as critical public goods.

Associated with CWAS since 2010, Aasim has extensive experience in WSH across India, Nepal, and Africa. He leads CWAS' work in supporting sanitation programs in small and medium towns in Maharashtra, focusing on City Wide Inclusive Sanitation and Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM). He provides technical support to the Maharashtra government for Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas. He is passionate about working towards efforts to mitigate climate change through WSH.

Aasim believes that inclusivity has a non-negotiable place in sanitation service delivery, and it cannot be fragmented but must be city-wide, self-financed, and self-monitored. For him, strengthening existing systems is at the core of inclusivity. To be truly inclusive, safe sanitation services must reach every household, especially those in hard-to-reach areas with high population density and cramped roads.

A thrilling initiative Aasim led as part of CWAS is “scheduled desludging”, which carries out regular or periodic services instead of being demand-based, implemented in Maharashtra. This first-of-its-kind initiative in India has helped improve the quality of and conserve water. To make the concept more relatable to people when first introduced in 2013, they compared it to Ghanta Gaadi, which does daily door-to-door waste collection from households. Instead of being daily, scheduled desludging would occur once every three years. The analogy was a game-changer in building political will and getting the initiative implemented!

This journey of doing what it takes to translate powerful ideas from the bookshelf to the ground and scaling them keeps Aasim driven. Being surrounded by a community of experts, as part of the NFSSM Alliance, has played an instrumental role in helping Aasim and CWAS scale efforts. Aasim believes that even though CWAS has strong relationships with the government, it has a much more significant impact when 30+ organizations come together to approach the government.

The Alliance has been pivotal in shifting the focus from toilets to the entire sanitation value chain and promoting inclusivity in SBM. For Aasim, engaging in the NFSSM Alliance has been a personal and professional triumph. Motivated by this community, Aasim continues inspiring others with his innovative solutions to help people adopt WSH services.

Praveen's venture into the not-so-glamorous world of fecal sludge management (FSM) began with an internship that initially seemed baffling to him. However, this experience turned out to be the catalyst that ignited his passion for a cause that resonated deeply within him. Hailing from a mechanical engineering background and a stint in the mining industry, Praveen's quest for deeper significance led him to Institute of Rural Management Anand, a B School espousing values steering towards nurturing professionals for non-profits and cooperatives. His journey in FSM when he decided to pursue an internship opportunity with CDD society during his MBA. Despite initial confusion about fecal sludge management's intricacies and necessity for a business model, Praveen plunged into the assignment, discovering the complexity within stakeholders' needs and dynamics, an experience that reshaped his path and instilled his belief in FSM as a solution. Little did he realize the profound impact this assignment would have on his life and the lives of countless others.

The shift in Praveen's perspective came during his fieldwork in Nepal post the 2015 earthquake. Amidst the aftermath, he recognized the profound impact of sanitation amidst dire humanitarian needs. The unsanitary conditions were causing significant distress, impacting not just their physical health but also their dignity and overall well-being. Witnessing the consequences of inadequate sanitation on people's lives during a disaster ignited a passion within him. He recognized that sanitation, particularly inclusive sanitation, was not merely a matter of waste management but a fundamental human right. He delved into learning the intricacies of sanitation, utilizing his experience to set up the first fecal sludge treatment plant in Nepal after the earthquake.

Returning from Nepal, Praveen's dedication to transforming sanitation in India grew stronger. However, he recognized that the issue extended beyond technical solutions; it required a societal shift in perspective. Praveen's work with CDD took shape, realizing - scalable impact hinges not just on infrastructural design but on advocacy, education, and influencing policy. Armed with no background in civil or environmental sciences, he had to learn quickly, right from the basics to cutting-edge innovations. His entire journey of learning was intensive and elaborate - from theory and research, scaled-down experimentation, full-scale pilots, and monitoring. Praveen recalls how his foray into training and capacity building was shaped by the need to make sanitation a household subject which is well understood by everyone. These days, he endeavors to explain to a broader audience, in simple terms, solutions to complex urban sanitation problems, through trainings and government engagements via creative and innovative methods of delivery. 

As Praveen's journey progressed, so did the sector's evolution. From struggling to explain the need for faecal sludge management to governments, the landscape shifted. Awareness grew, policies evolved, and burgeoning private sector involvement signaled progress.

Praveen's involvement with the NFSSM Alliance provided access to a network that shared his vision, fostering collective wisdom and solutions. The Alliance's collaborative platform offered a repository of shared experiences, streamlining problem-solving and catalyzing faster responses.  This platform nurtured collaboration and expedited solutions, offering a space for collective learning and knowledge exchange, empowering faster responses to sector challenges.

Praveen's aspirations for the sector are clear and profound: envisioning a world where sanitation is not a privilege but a humanitarian right, where cities thrived in resilience and inclusivity, unchained from the burdens of inadequate waste management.

Praveen's journey is not just about waste management; it is a testament to the transformative impact individuals can have when driven by empathy and a relentless pursuit of social justice. His story stands as a beacon of hope, inspiring others to embark on journeys that may initially seem daunting but ultimately lead to profound change.

Santosh Nargund, a seasoned aerospace engineer turned civic advocate, embodies a multifaceted journey. His trajectory, rife with technical prowess and civic fervor, converges in his involvement with the NFSSM Alliance and his current role at the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. 

Beginning his career as an Aerospace Scientist, Santosh led groundbreaking projects on iconic aircraft models for both government and private sectors. He led global teams on several pioneer projects on aircrafts such as the Tejas (Indian Light Combat Aircraft), Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A350XWB and the A320 neo. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), and armed with a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering and a Master's in Technology in Structural Engineering, his industry tenure ignited his dedication to community development. This new-found passion led him to transition from industry, diving into grassroots initiatives spanning climate action, sanitation, and societal reforms.

Santosh does not view cities as economic hubs only but sees them as crucial habitats for sustainable living for an aspirational population. His pivot towards systemic interventions aimed to transform cities into safe, prosperous environments for all residents, including the most marginalized. 

Santosh expounds on the vital role of sanitation in human life and its historical significance, dating back to civilizations like the Indus Valley. He illuminates the inherent inequalities in sanitation access, advocating for addressing these disparities. Reflecting on his experiences, Santosh recounted a poignant anecdote from his early days. Working in an urban poor community in Bangalore, he spearheaded efforts to secure sanitation facilities, catalyzing community mobilization that led to governmental attention and some initial improvements. Stressing the significance of inclusive sanitation as a fundamental human right, he champions equitable access and community involvement for sustainable practices.

Santosh believes that his involvement with the NFSSM Alliance emerged as a privilege. It serves as a collaborative nucleus where like-minded individuals converge, singularly dedicated to elevating sanitation practices nationwide. Engaging with diverse partners within the Alliance heightened Santosh's awareness of gender-specific sanitation needs, influencing his commitment to inclusive sanitation and gender-sensitive urban development. 

Santosh recognizes the critical role of stakeholder appetite and collaboration in expediting reforms for effective urban governance. His affiliation with Janaagraha, an organization at the forefront of systemic change in urban governance, dovetails perfectly with the Alliance's mission. By leveraging Janaagraha's systemic approach, Santosh underscores the need for a comprehensive view of sanitation, one that addresses not just the immediate challenges but also embraces cross-learning from various sectors to drive impactful change.  

Santosh's story echoes the collaborative spirit and relentless pursuit of equitable urban development and inclusive sanitation within the NFSSM Alliance, painting a vivid picture of dedication and systemic change in the pursuit of a more sanitary and equitable society.

Dr. Shafia Wani, a dedicated advocate for sanitation in Jammu & Kashmir, stands at the forefront of revolutionizing urban sanitation practices in the region. Her illustrious journey intertwines her passion for public welfare with her role as an integral part of the Government’s Jammu & Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development. Dr. Wani's work isn't confined to merely training and policy interventions; it spans a vast spectrum, focusing on capacitating various stakeholders at multiple levels of governance. 

Her journey into the realm of sanitation commenced when she became increasingly aware of the dire need for improvement in sanitation practices within the region. The context of the state's unsatisfactory sanitation practices, leading to adverse health outcomes and environmental degradation, fueled her passion for initiating transformative change. 

A trailblazer in Kashmir's sanitation domain, Dr. Wani had a distinguished role in initiating and revolutionizing faecal sludge management in J&K. Her journey in this field stands as a beacon of change, driven by a profound desire to rectify the inadequacies in sanitation practices that have plagued the region for years. Her involvement in the Swachh Bharat Mission since its inception wasn't merely about individual household latrines but extended to identifying critical gaps in sanitation practices beyond access to toilets. Dr. Wani recognized a glaring omission in faecal sludge management, liquid waste, and solid waste handling. This insight led her to devise innovative strategies to address these overlooked yet vital aspects. Her journey began with a stark realization that the prevailing focus on individual latrines was incomplete without addressing the aftermath - the management of waste generated. She recognized the potential hazards posed by unmanaged faecal sludge and wastewater before ODF++ was mainstreamed. Her vision extended beyond immediate fixes, pushing for a holistic solution to tackle this issue at its core. 

As part of her efforts, she first focused on training sessions and awareness programs targeting a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Her approach wasn't one-size-fits-all; it was a nuanced, personalized endeavor aimed at local leaders, government officials, and frontline workers. These sessions were specifically tailored to highlight the criticality of proper fecal sludge management and its impact on health and the environment. One of the most impactful aspects of Dr. Wani's work was the application of theoretical knowledge in practical settings. Field visits, workshops, and hands-on training became integral to her strategy. By collaborating with local bodies and organizations like WASH Institute, she facilitated training sessions that provided insights into on-ground challenges and effective management techniques. An anecdote that resonates with her journey involves engaging an elderly person initially resistant to change. Through empathy and patient explanation, she transformed his outlook, turning him into a vocal advocate for better sanitation practices. This anecdote highlights her ability to connect with communities and change mindsets effectively. Dr. Wani’s belief system centers community well-being and participation. With those two tenets coming together, she has knowingly ensured sanitation practices that are sustainable and not driven by the top administration, instead driven by the people and for the people.

Dr. Wani envisions a Kashmir with robust waste management systems in place, ensuring efficient faecal sludge management, wastewater treatment, and proper waste disposal. Her emphasis on awareness and software-level changes remains at the forefront of her vision for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future. Her unwavering commitment to faecal sludge management epitomizes her dedication to transforming sanitation practices in Kashmir. Her journey signifies not just individual efforts but a clarion call for collective action towards a comprehensive and effective waste management system, safeguarding the health of communities and the environment. 

Dr. Wani's vision for the state of Jammu and Kashmir revolves around comprehensive sanitation management. Her aspirations encompass efficient wastewater and solid waste management systems, reducing pollution of natural water bodies like the famous Dal Lake. 

Xerxes' journey into urban sanitation was not just a career choice but a calling ignited by experiences that painted a vivid picture of the disparities in sanitation services. His story encapsulates a transformative odyssey from observing open drains in his childhood to reshaping the paradigm of inclusive sanitation across cities.

Born in Indore, Xerxes' childhood memories of sewage spilling into the streets sparked his relentless quest to understand and resolve the unaddressed sanitation issues. Despite the societal focus on home comforts and infrastructure, the overlooked fate of waste disposal deeply concerned him. His architectural studies and professional experience further solidified this conviction.

In 2005, while working with the International City Managers Association on the Afghan Municipal Strengthening Program, Xerxes encountered the dire sanitation situation in Kabul. The absence of proper waste management systems and challenges in waste disposal highlighted the gravity of the issue on an international scale. This experience shaped his mission to bring effective change in sanitation practices.

Xerxes' commitment led him to collaborate with the Urban Management Centre (UMC), where his journey of transformation began. He wasn't just reshaping infrastructure - he was reconstructing perspectives. His work in Dhenkanal, Orissa, marked a pivotal moment. He collaborated with sanitation workers and formed self-help groups (SHGs) to uplift and empower them. Notably, one encounter with Ashish Nayak, a qualified civil engineer working as a sanitation worker, highlighted the plight of skilled individuals facing societal bias. Xerxes was relentless in reshaping paradigms, turning overlooked sanitation workers into guardians of better living standards. The journey wasn't just about building toilets but nurturing an ecosystem of respect and dignity.

Through the years, Xerxes' focus evolved from mere infrastructure development to emphasizing operation and maintenance in sanitation. The integration of sanitation workers into self-help groups and schemes like GARIMA marked a significant shift in perspective. His efforts reshaped societal perceptions, aiming not to see these workers as mere laborers but as valued contributors to a safer and more dignified urban landscape.

Being part of the National Feacal Sludge and Septage Management Alliance (NFSM) provided Xerxes a platform for cross-learning and collaboration. It allowed the sharing of best practices and policy changes to redefine the narrative around sanitation workers' roles.

Looking ahead, Xerxes eagerly contributes to the Statewide Framework of Inclusive Sanitation for Odisha and envisions scaling these initiatives nationally. His aspirations resonate with creating citywide inclusive sanitation programs and fostering collaboration among stakeholders for a more equitable urban environment.

Xerxes' story is not just about reshaping sanitation but also about shifting societal perspectives, from stigmatization to empowerment. His journey reflects a commitment to transforming the lives of sanitation workers, redefining urban landscapes, and fostering an inclusive approach to sanitation for all.

Meghna Malhotra is Deputy Director at Urban Management Centre (UMC). She has extensive experience in urban governance and management across health, water, and sanitation. She holds a master's degree in environmental planning and a bachelor's degree in architecture.

The World Health Organisation posed a question in 2006 that has stayed with Meghna ever since: “Why do we keep treating people for illnesses and send them back to the conditions that created the illness in the first place.” Having worked at the intersection of health and WASH, she strongly feels that until we ensure sanitation for all, we cannot achieve health for all.

On the topic of alternative livelihoods, during a meeting with sanitation workers, one of them said, “Kya aap humsein yeh kaam bhi cheen loge”? (Will you take away even this work from us?). This question jolted Meghna into remembering how sanitation workers are alienated from mainstream sectors, making the idea of losing their jobs scary. Each time she heard of an accident or workers without PPEs, it was a distressing motivator of the immense work ahead towards ensuring sanitation worker safety.

Meghna has led UMC’s partnership with the Government of Odisha to implement the Garima Scheme --- a comprehensive scheme targetting safety and dignity for sanitation work --- alongside supporting the Deendayal Antyoday Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

Meghna believes that for inclusive sanitation services, all sections of the city must be covered, including the urban poor, women, trans persons, and other under-served communities. Involving diverse citizen voices in design and maintenance encourages ownership and the payment of taxes/fees required to maintain these services.

At UMC, Meghna focuses on granularly approaching the process of achieving ODF status in informal settlements in cities, which ultimately helps shape perspectives across the country. UMC’s efforts have played a key role in impacting policy design over the last two decades. Before the national launch of SBM-Urban, they supported the Gujarat government in preparing an ODF policy for the state.

Through her determination to focus on change at the micro-scale, Meghna has been able to see a trickle-up effect where states are inspired by the work she is engaged in, causing a macro-level difference. Meghna’s commitment to inclusivity is inspiring in many ways.

Recounting his foray into the social sector, Niladri describes with fondness, an adventure trip he took with his friends, where he met a journalist from a daily newspaper who was both impressed and intrigued upon hearing that he was pursuing Environmental science and ecology. He suggested that Niladri look for opportunities in the social sector; a world which was completely alien to him at the time. Stirred by the conversation, he started applying for roles after completing his postgraduate degree and landed up in a grassroots organization in a remote place in West Bengal called Medinipur where he first learnt how to work together with communities.

When his journey with WSH began he encountered that the groundwater in West Bengal (among other states) was highly contaminated with arsenic – resulting in death and disease particularly in rural areas which lacked alternative sources of water. He worked with the Bengal Engineering and Science University to install an activated alumina-based filter and involved the community in its management thus bringing down the arsenic to permissible levels. This contributed significantly to bringing down the disease burden. “WSH is a big determinant of public health”, Niladri explains, “part of why it’s close to my heart.”

Of the firm belief that Inclusive Sanitation must also extend to remote and challenging terrains, Niladri had one such experience while working on an island in the Sunderbans, where setting up a sanitation supply chain was incredibly tough. When him and his team started off, the island had 0 toilets and over the course of just 1.5 years, working together with the community to solve their challenges, they were able to bring a toilet to every household – so that people would not have to resort to open defecation and instead be able to access safe and dignified sanitation. To be meaningful, sanitation services must be inclusive and reach the last mile.

Niladri recounts that earlier the spotlight used to mostly be on the challenges of rural sanitation. However, recently people started acknowledging the complexity of Urban Sanitation. The NFSSM Alliance has played a pivotal role in bringing urban sanitation, its urgency and complexity, to the centerstage. The Alliance has also provided a space for organizations to share their strengths with each other. Niladri regards the cross learning between organizations over the past year as a beneficial learning experience.

Upon a reflection of his long journey in the sanitation sector Niladri has observed it go through multiple changes. While earlier, in the sector, interventions used to be standalone or siloed, people have now started to proactively move towards scale. The role of the non-profit sector too has evolved. Non-profits are now working more symbiotically with the government in the capacity of technical support agencies – nudging and supporting the government. He says, “I’m so glad to see the insurge of fresh professional talent that the sector has witnessed. So many qualified young people are choosing to be in the sector purely out of passion, bringing a fresh and unbiased perspective to the work.”

Niladri is Senior Lead, Practice at Indian Institute of Human Settlements. He has close to two decades of experience as a development professional in the domain of water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and public health. He has worked with organizations like CARE, Water For People, PFI, Medic Synergy, IPE Global and has been an instrumental part of large scale WASH and public health program supported by bilateral agencies like USAID and DFID. He earned a Master of Population Studies from the International Institute for Population Studies, Mumbai, and a Masters in Ecology & Environment from Sikkim Manipal University.

“After graduating from architecture and working in the field, I realized that I was not happy with just designing for a few individuals, properties, houses, some institutions, etc. I wanted to understand how cities work, what are the methods and systems in which they grow. That is why I studied urban planning.”

Manvita, driven by curiosity, always wondered why urban environments often failed to prioritize those in greatest need of their services. Recognizing that the efficacy of urban planning hinged on placing people at the core, she made this realization the cornerstone of her perspective. It was Manivta’s upbringing in Russia that instilled in her a strong sense of inclusivity. She firmly believes that good governance is essential for inclusivity. All citizens must get represented and get what they deserve and need from different levels of government. When it comes to sanitation, unfortunately, cities are not inclusive because informal settlements and marginalized communities get left out. Not by design, not by anybody's apathy, but by the overall system's apathy. Manvita believes that inclusive sanitation requires inclusion of geographically challenging areas that need to be catered to, vulnerable people who need to be prioritized, trans people who are interspersed into certain settlements, and all those at the periphery of the city’s existence.

Her childhood impressions motivated Manvite to prioritize communities in her work. She entered Urban Planning purely from an urban poverty perspective and worked at the intersection of sanitation and poverty much more. Manvita acknowledges the slow progress in the sanitation sector, emphasizing the need for more well-designed systems. Despite promising strides, there is ample room for further improvement. She advocates for prioritizing the lives of sanitation workers, ensuring proper equipment, innovative solutions for occupational safety, and making their well-being a top priority for cities.

At Urban Management Centre, Manvita and her team work towards strengthening municipal systems; embedded into all three levels of government and the community. Their focus on municipal systems stems from the fact that the local government is the closest to citizens. Unless one’s city reaches out to them, one will not be able to reach out to it to address their problems. This has driven their advocacy for strengthening and providing more autonomy for local governments. Autonomy, financial and otherwise, is important for cities. Manvita’s vision is to enable robust urban governance particularly in sanitation, to see Indian cities sanitised- right from cleanliness to liquid waste management. Her core belief is that for this to happen we not only require emphasis on technology but also collaboration with people who remain behind the scenes i.e. sanitation workers. Manvita emphasis upon the transformative potential that lies in reshaping the capacity-building and training ecosystem for inclusive sanitation and urban planning. The goal is to empower individuals interested in city planning through university programs and professional courses, providing them with the tools to effectively organize and manage cities in collaboration with the government.

Manvita is the Director and Founder of Urban Management Centre, and has been deeply involved in shaping more inclusive urban systems by working with local governments. She harbours a deep passion for planning cities that leave no one at the periphery, regardless of geographical and socio-economic vulnerability. Having formally studied architecture and urban planning, she has vast experience in training young professionals as well as city officials in designing cities that work for everyone.

Depinder Kapur is a renowned Development and WASH expert, currently serving as the Director of Water Program at Centre for Science and Environment. With a diverse background, he has held significant positions at WaterAid, NIUA, CARE, Oxfam, and WSSCC, among others. He has worked to develop national strategies and frameworks for assessing capacity development and resilient urban sanitation response effectiveness.

Before his foray in WSH, he had worked in various fields including watershed development, forestry, and agriculture, among others. Having initially focused on rural issues, he gravitated towards the intriguing nature of urban challenges, which to him remained relatively unexplored and underserved. It presented an additional challenge to him, which he was eager to tackle; thereby making Urban Water and Sanitation all the more enticing to him.

From his initial days of exploring WSH, he was surprised to witness the state of small towns of UP, where drain water actually flew into septic tanks. Similarly, in the floodplains of Bihar, he encountered houses with septic tanks located in the center of the house owing to lack of proper drainage systems outside. These seemingly basic challenges lacked documentation or public discussion. These initial experiences played an important role in instilling in him an appreciation of the importance of adapting solutions to local contexts.

Reflecting upon his journey in sanitation, Depinder recounts that while initially, the sector’s focus was limited to community and public toilets, over time, there was a rise in momentum to address the challenges of urban sanitation. The period between 2015 and 2020, just before the onset of the COVID pandemic, was one of exhilaration in the sector. During this time, there was a flurry of activities taking place in the sector, including implementation efforts, research endeavors, capacity building initiatives, and the establishment of the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Alliance. It marked an exciting moment in the sector. The NFSSM Alliance has played a role in bringing the agenda of Faecal Sludge and Septage Management to the national level. Depinder strongly believes that being a part of the NFSSM Alliance has exposed him to different approaches and unique experiences across a range of issues. He regards it vital to sustain the work that has been done for FSSM, to scale it up and cull out the right learnings towards the goal of inclusive sanitation.

As part of his work at the Centre for Science and Environment, he strives to center the inclusion of the poorest and most vulnerable settlements, being of the firm belief that Urban Planning, which is a neglected area, is not just about spatial planning but about addressing gaps and inequities, bringing legislative entitlements to people residing in cities to all services including water and sanitation. The very premise of city sanitation planning is to address those parts of cities which are denied services.