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K. Khare and S. Jose
1 Introduction
Sustainable water and sanitation provision are substantive of good health, well-being,
and human flourishing. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals recognize
safely managed drinking water and sanitation not only as one of the most imperative
goals as well as means to achieve other goals on the agenda (Narayanan et al. 2012),
but also a distinct right to achieve adequate standard of living.
Sanitation is an umbrella term which includes clean drinking water, safe sewage
disposal, and good personal hygiene habits. The definition and understanding of the
term have cultural, geographical, and habitual influences. ‘Sanitation is defined as
the provision and access to facilities and services for the safe management of human
fecal sludge (HFS), which entails collection, containment, transportation, treatment,
and final disposal’ (Sohail et al. 2018).
The advent of United Nations, ‘International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade’ 1981–1990, marked the beginning of focus on the problems of water and
sanitation at the global level (Bourne 1984; Pickford 1980; Rosenqvist et al. 2016).
The sector garnered utmost importance and called for a sense of urgent redressal
through years. Upon the arrival of Sustainable Development Goals, water and sanitation is standalone arrayed as sixth most important and aims to ‘ensure availability
and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ (WASH agenda in 2030
Report 2017).
Going by the global indicators, 30% still lack even basic
1 sanitation services; 12%
of the global population still go out for defecation; 32% of the global population
do not have access to safely managed
2 drinking water; and in the least-developed
countries, around 47% do not have hand wash facility with soap and water (WHO and
UNICEF 2017). Back home, in India, two-fifth of Indian population still practice open
defecation and have inequitable access to water. In rural India, while the access to
basic level of water services is better around 85%, 56% still practice open defecation
(WASH Database 2018; WHO-UNICEF JMP Report 2017). The National Family
Health Survey fourth round (2015–2016) estimates stand just as close to the former
with 39% total, in which 54% of the rural population as well as 10% of urban
population practice open defecation.
India has 50% of contribution in open defecation globally, which is a human
development disaster (Coffey and Spears 2017).The major victim of the worsened
disease environment often is the children under five years of age with multiple illhealth outcomes (Arnold et al. 2017; Bourne 1984; Schmidt 2014; Waddington et al.
2009). As per the estimates developed by United Nations Inter-Agency Group, infant
1 As defined in WHO/UNICEF JMP report 2017, p. 14, the word basic entails use of unshared
improved facilities. Improved facilities include flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic
tanks or pit latrines; ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.
2 As defined in WHO/UNICEF JMP report 2017, p. 14, safely managed drinking water is having
access to an improved water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free
from faecal and priority chemical contamination.
K. Khare and S. Jose
1 Introduction
Sustainable water and sanitation provision are substantive of good health, well-being,
and human flourishing. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals recognize
safely managed drinking water and sanitation not only as one of the most imperative
goals as well as means to achieve other goals on the agenda (Narayanan et al. 2012),
but also a distinct right to achieve adequate standard of living.
Sanitation is an umbrella term which includes clean drinking water, safe sewage
disposal, and good personal hygiene habits. The definition and understanding of the
term have cultural, geographical, and habitual influences. ‘Sanitation is defined as
the provision and access to facilities and services for the safe management of human
fecal sludge (HFS), which entails collection, containment, transportation, treatment,
and final disposal’ (Sohail et al. 2018).
The advent of United Nations, ‘International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade’ 1981–1990, marked the beginning of focus on the problems of water and
sanitation at the global level (Bourne 1984; Pickford 1980; Rosenqvist et al. 2016).
The sector garnered utmost importance and called for a sense of urgent redressal
through years. Upon the arrival of Sustainable Development Goals, water and sanitation is standalone arrayed as sixth most important and aims to ‘ensure availability
and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ (WASH agenda in 2030
Report 2017).
Going by the global indicators, 30% still lack even basic
1 sanitation services; 12%
of the global population still go out for defecation; 32% of the global population
do not have access to safely managed
2 drinking water; and in the least-developed
countries, around 47% do not have hand wash facility with soap and water (WHO and
UNICEF 2017). Back home, in India, two-fifth of Indian population still practice open
defecation and have inequitable access to water. In rural India, while the access to
basic level of water services is better around 85%, 56% still practice open defecation
(WASH Database 2018; WHO-UNICEF JMP Report 2017). The National Family
Health Survey fourth round (2015–2016) estimates stand just as close to the former
with 39% total, in which 54% of the rural population as well as 10% of urban
population practice open defecation.
India has 50% of contribution in open defecation globally, which is a human
development disaster (Coffey and Spears 2017).The major victim of the worsened
disease environment often is the children under five years of age with multiple illhealth outcomes (Arnold et al. 2017; Bourne 1984; Schmidt 2014; Waddington et al.
2009). As per the estimates developed by United Nations Inter-Agency Group, infant
1 As defined in WHO/UNICEF JMP report 2017, p. 14, the word basic entails use of unshared
improved facilities. Improved facilities include flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic
tanks or pit latrines; ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.
2 As defined in WHO/UNICEF JMP report 2017, p. 14, safely managed drinking water is having
access to an improved water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free
from faecal and priority chemical contamination.