Aug 2023
Inclusive Sanitation – Way Forward for Cities: A checklist and Framework
Urban poor in India face a significant disparity in accessing essential services such as water, sanitation, and hygiene. Approximately 70% of sewage is left untreated in slums where 1 in 6 Indians live in urban areas. The pandemic has worsened this issue, with only 6% of the poorest households having improved sanitation facilities compared to 93% of the richest. The government is making efforts to address this through mandates for universal access to household toilets, aspirational sanitation infrastructure, fair user-charges, and measurement systems. The Inclusive City Framework provides a comprehensive structure to define inclusive cities and a checklist for decision-makers to ensure accessible, affordable, and inclusive sanitation infrastructure.