The Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) initiative aims to establish community-managed systems to secure access to safe and sufficient drinking water as well as to achieve open defecation free (ODF) status with improved hygiene behaviour in 56 villages in Jharkhand and Gujarat. This will be rapidly scaled up in next two years to nearly 150 villages.
The programme strategies include sustained behaviour change campaigns to ensure adoption of better hygiene practices, help with construction and reconstruction of toilet units, mapping and leverage of drinking water facilities and supporting the district administration with Swachh Bharat Mission. Special emphasis is being laid on imparting trainings to students covered under the education programme along with toilet reconstruction in these schools.