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.
