Mathur Ritika Passi

for expanding international cooperation
and supporting developing countries in
building capacity related to water and
sanitation activities. India will need
financial and technological support
from the global community to meet its
mammoth sanitation goal (assuming that
the drinking water goal is managed with
available domestic resources). The target
of eliminating open defecation by 2019
requires building toilets for 45% of the
total population, 31 which will require
$11 billion as per a 2014 study. 32 Certain
government incentive schemes exist for
both rural and urban areas, but a demand
of this scale will require additional
innovative financing models (microfinance,
financial inclusion through commercial
banks, engagement of corporate social
responsibility, privatisation and crowd
funding)—as mentioned earlier. 33 Uptake
of a particular financial model will
need deeper assessment. For example,
privatisation of water supply in India
has not quite met its mark in improving
efficiency or discipline. Moreover, the
Supreme Court of India has indicated
specifically that air, water and forests
cannot be privatised as per the Constitution
of India. 34 Innovative approaches that
effectively utilise the strength of the private
sector will be required to meet financial and
administrative deficits in the public water
sector.
The last target (6.b) proposes a
strengthening of local participation
in improving water and sanitation
management. This recommendation in
fact finds mention in almost all Indian
policies related to water and sanitation.
For example, the 73rd constitutional
amendment granted Panchayati Raj
institutions administrative responsibilities
that include managing water and
sanitation, 35 in a bid to strengthen local
governance and decentralise management
of basic utilities. The NRDWP and National
Water Policy, 2012, place special emphasis
on inclusive participation, gender equity
and community empowerment to promote
a bottom-up approach.
SDG 6 is promising, and recognises
changing environmental and development
realities. It complements Indian water
and sanitation strategies and additionally
calls for international support for building
capacity of vulnerable communities. The
goal in question also attempts to capture
interlinkages between water resources
management, drinking water supply,
sanitation and wastewater treatment. This
broader ambit and scope of SDG 6, that
takes into account the entire supply chain
India will require innovative
financing models in addition
to the government budget and
incentive schemes, but each
model must be fully assessed
to gauge its viability.
of water and sanitation management, may
have the potential to bridge the gaps in
current Indian policies and programmes.
Indian policymakers need to carefully
evaluate the scope and potential of
decentralised governance in managing
water and sanitation; the strength of
private sector and its engagement in
the process; and access to technologies,
ranging from complex fixes to the humble
and traditional ones. Dealing with these
intermixed contours of SDG 6 and national
objectives on water and sanitation will
require dynamic political leadership and
social motivations. Particularly important
will be behavioural changes, which will
necessitate greater social mobilisation
by civil society and the government. The
ability and capacity to deal with demands
of a transitioning socio-economic society
and climate change will also be equally vital
as India moves towards achieving the SDG
and national target on water and sanitation
for all.
Pulling It All Together
India continues to strive to achieve its water
and sanitation for all target irrespective
of the timeline of the MDGs or SDGs.
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