Vincent M. Ouma, Head of Programmes, KEWASNET
The country aims at being open defecation-free by 2019.
No one solution to address sanitation challenge in India, but behavioural change based on empirical data is the key, says National Consultation on Sustainable Rural Sanitation organised by CSE
Of the 1 billion people globally who have no toilet, India accounts for nearly 600 million.
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS), has nominated the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) as a National Key Resource Centre to undertake capacity building programmes, research, and awareness creation in context to clean water supply and sanitation.
The impact of the watershed programmes have not only resulted in ecological restoration but also yielded economic returns for the communities. In village Bagroda of Bhopal district, the watershed mission initiated work in 2006, covering a total area of 1,275 hectares with a project cost of 65.03 lacs. In the four years of the project, a sum of 43 lacs have been spent in creation of 6 percolation tanks, 5 ponds, 10 boulder check dams, 6000 contour trenches, plantation of 57000 saplings and fodder development in 10 hectares.