WHO WE ARE

About Us

The National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management(NFSSM) Alliance was established with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016 to advocate for safe sanitation at the national, state and city level. The Alliance is recognized as the strategic advocacy body that drives the discourse of faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) forward in India. The NFSSM Alliance in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) has been instrumental in the passage of India’s first national policy on FSSM in 2017.

India generates nearly 40 million tons of sewage daily of which more than 70% goes untreated.

More than 4,000 septage and sludge filled trucks empty in Ganga Basin alone and on average one such truck carrying 5000 liters of faecal sludge dumped, equates to 5,000 people defecating in open.

India’s sewerage system does not connect around two-third of its urban homes and hence exploring decentralized alternatives becomes essential. 70% of households in India are based on on-site systems, which thrives demand for hazardous manual scavenging despite a nationwide ban Women and other marginalized communities continue to be disproportionately affected due to higher health risks and lack of dignity.

Although various organizations are doing exemplary work towards safe waste management and treatment, there was a severe lack of a strong unified voice and collaboration among the champions. Such collaboration could avoid duplication of efforts and bolster sharing of knowledge and expertise. Recognizing this need for collaboration, the NFSSM Alliance was formed to bring together diverse players in the sanitation ecosystem in India for collective action.

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Our Aspiration and Goals 2020

1

Bring the sanitation issues of vulnerable sections including the urban poor into the centre of public mind and government focus

2

Government focused narratives and priorities for municipal reforms and resilience across India

3

Push for human centric innovation to ensure greater inclusivity and needs alignment with key focus on front line workers