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Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation

Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation (SIAES) earlier known as Sulabh International Institute of Technical Research and Training (SIITRAT) started in 1984 with the objectives of:

• Formulation, monitoring and implementation of projects relating to Environmental Sanitation with the focus on water, sanitation, health and hygiene;
• Capacity building and training at national and international levels for the professionals from local governments, academic institutions including schools, private sectors, NGOs, grass- root workers, etc; cur r iculum development, documentation, networking, etc;
• Carrying out applied and fundamental research as well as training and consultancy in the area of Environmental Sanitation on various issues relating to social, environmental and technical developments in the country.

During the last two decades, several important studies on social issues of scavengers’ rehabilitation, their skill development etc were carried out. Significant research and consultancy undertaken on sustainable technologies like biogas plants, duckweed plants, materials and designs of pan and trap of toilet, waste water disposal and treatment, solid waste management, bio-medical waste management etc. The Sulabh has a wellequipped laboratory with testing facilities and also for undertaking research and development. Some of the prominent Research and Consultancy projects undertaken are detailed in Section 4.

Base structure for two pit.

The outcome of Sulabh’s research and designing capabilities are tested and validated on ground realities and propagated for the community use through capacity building and training. Accordingly, the Academy has a much larger mandate of acting as an international centre of holistic learning and education on all issues related to promotion of sanitation. The objective is to treat sanitation as a major field of education and study, revitalizing through training programmes and professional studies involving highly qualified sanitation experts, engineers, health professionals, social scientists, ecologists and scholars from all other related fields. The details of the Faculty of the Academy are placed at Section 5. The Academy aims at bringing sanitation into a sharp focus of academic activities and research nationally, regionally and globally.

UN-HABITAT, Nairobi recognized the Sulabh Academy for the capacity development of the African countries of Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’ Ivorie, Mali, Ghana, Rwanda and Senegal, Zambia as a part of achieving the MDG, set for the sustainable development in water, sanitation, health and hygiene sectors. Also, at the request of UN-HABITAT, the Academy prepared the publication on ‘Social Marketing of Sanitation’ to serve as the link between the UN-HABITAT and the Agencies engaged in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities around the world. At the national level, the Academy also organizes capacity building programmes for the local government functionaries and other stakeholders of the states of Gujarat, Jammu& Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh the Sulabh Academy believes that ‘Education’ as well as ‘Capacity building’ alone could contribute towards the required acceleration to bridge the growing gap between those who have sanitation services and those who do not, particularly in the context of achieving the MDG.

Pan fitting.

The Academy has also taken up various initiatives for the human resource development (HRD). Regular training courses organized for the hospital nurses, doctors and technical officers of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, officers & trainees from Human Settlement Management Institute (HSMI) of HUDCO and many other departments of the Central, State and Local Governments.

Personnel from NGOs from all over the country are being trained in different aspects of sanitation. Visiting fellows and students from various universities from India and abroad (countries like Japan, France, USA, etc.) do visit the Sulabh campus and the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets. Students from Delhi University as well as colleges from our country and from the American school (and the wards of various Embassies) are also being trained from time to time.Thus, the Academy activities also include:

• Preparation of professionals from Government and Non-governmental Organisations of National and International repute on the issues of water and sanitation;
• Globalization of the Sulabh Sanitation Technologies to widen the sanitation overage, particularly to SAARC and other developing countries;
• Research and development of indigenous, affordable, eco-friendly and culturally acceptable sanitation technologies;
• Launching of national campaign on Rural Sanitation, social mobilization for promotion of sanitation by involving local bodies and the community based organizations;
• Schools as ‘Agents of Change’ for sanitation and hygiene (WASH Campaign) and rehabilitation of women & children of weaker sections through education and vocational training;
• Liberation of Scavengers and provision of alternative sources of livelihood through skill upgradation, upscaling through capacity building for sustainable development;
• Awareness generation and creation of demand at community level for safe access to water and sanitation through community participation and participatory democracy.

Sulabh Initiatives In Sanitation In A Global Perspective

Sulabh International has been working closely with UN-HABITAT for the last 35 years and has made a significant contribution to bridge the sanitation gap. The Academy has been working in South Asia and Africa and has sent its experts to several countries as part of the UN-HABITAT Missions.

At the request of UN-HABITAT, Sulabh International prepared a publication on “Social Marketing of Sanitation” which seeks to serve as the link between UN-HABITAT and other agencies engaged in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns/cities and to provide shelter for the poor. The publication analyses the barriers in promoting sanitation and illustrates the experiences in social marketing with case studies from Asia and Africa and provides strategies and solutions. It is extremely useful for the professionals engaged in improving the quality of life by promoting sanitation and will be a guide line to the policy makers, field workers and experts in the area of water and sanitation for implementing the sanitation programme.

Partnership with UNICEF and Government of Bihar.

Super structure fitting.

The Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation in association with the UNICEF and Government of Bihar will be strengthening the capacity building and training efforts particularly for the grass-root level workers to support the scalingup of the Total Sanitation Campaign and the Swajaldhara programme, a Government launched reform in the water supply and sanitation sector to lay emphasis on awareness generation for creating demand in rural areas. We have established the Sulabh Academy Centre at Patna with the facilities of a sanitation park, training centre, hostel accommodation to cater to the need of training of all the stakeholders of Bihar. We have taken up the Vaishali Distt. For this purpose Lal Ganj and Hazipur Blocks have been chosen for demand generation for sanitation and safe handling of drinking water among the rural population of these Blocks. We have selected and trained Block Coordinators, Panchayat Coordinators along with assured delivery of sanitary materials to the rural people with appropriate technology in order to provide safe sanitation in the least possible time. Masons have been considered an important tool for creation of demand and construction activities through social marketing. This project is a shining example of strong partnership amongst NGOs, Govt. bodies and International Agencies focusing towards unifiea goals and objectives by pooling their resources and human capital for desired outcome (100% sanitation at Panchayat level) through this project.

Discussion of health & hygiene with community.

Demonstration Ecosan toilet.

The School Sanitation Programme in about 200 Rural Primary Schools have been under taken in these two blocks and all the schools will have a sanitation and good drinking water facilities by March 2007.

The total project cost comes to Rs. 2.5 crores.

Academy in South Asia Sulabh has spread its message and awareness in the field of sanitation in the Asian countries of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

The Academy has initiated health and hygiene awareness programme in concomitant with toilet construction at the five sites of construction at Kabul under Government of India’s relief and rehabilitation package for the war-torn nation of Afghanistan, which includes one hospital and four market places with adjoining slums. The municipal officials and engineer working in the Sanitation sector are trained here and their capacity has been enhanced so as to understand the various issues of saniatation. The rehabilitation package also includes a base line survey on water, sanitation and hygiene, awareness campaign for promotion of better hygiene practices covering schools, colleges and other educational institutions, advocacy for safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation and usage of the community toilets constructed under the programme.

Capacity building and technology transfer to African Countries.

Africa, as a continent is generating a demand for appropriate technologies in the area of sanitation. UN-HABITAT, Nairobi requested The Sulabh International to organize capacity building on “Sanitation Technologies” for the African countries, as a part of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda in achieving the Millennium Development Goals for sustainable development in Water, Sanitation, Health and Hygiene. This was a part of the world-wide global initiative to promote clean living and good health. This capacity building programme provided an opportunity to the participant countries to exchange ideas on sanitation and discuss sanitation technologies and try them out in their own countries with changes wherever necessary.

Training in Masonry for construction of individual house-hold toilet.

This Programme on “Sanitation Technologies” is a step towards strengthening and promoting South- South Cooperation for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas on appropriate technologies Sulabh carried out the capacity building process in 2005 to the professionals from five African countries of Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Ghana, Cote d’Ivorie, Rwanda, Senegal and Zambia wherein the professionals were trained on “Sulabh Sanitation Technologies” through an international workshop. After this skill training, the participants shall take up the project planning and implementation of the sanitation projects in their countries under Sulabh’s technical and administrative supervision followed by review. The participants represented each country, prepared their action plans to be carried out by them for the implementation of sanitation technologies in their respective countries.

The Ambassador of Ethiopia and Kenya in India expressed their thoughts about the workshop as a need for technological exchange for the common good of the peoples of India and Africa and urged to get these new techniques to improve sanitation facilities in the respective countries.

Social And Technical Guidelines On Health, Hygiene And Sanitation For The Republic of Mozambique.

Sulabh has developed “Social and Technical guidelines on Health, Hygiene and Sanitation Education” for the Republic of Mozambique, which is aimed at implementing their Rural Sanitation Programmes including health and hygiene and provides sanitary technological options to the beneficiaries to choose as per their needs, choice and financial capacity. The main purpose was to improve the health of the rural population by introducing good hygiene and sanitation practices within households and giving them access to protected water supply and adequate sanitation.

The guidelines deal in detail with the social and technical issues of Rural Sanitation and appropriately set its objectives for enhancing the awareness levels, promoting behavioral change, creating a network of stakeholders and sensitizing the civic bodies in achieving the Goal. Preparation of appropriate guidelines and education materials for sanitation promotion as well as for the use of implementing agencies and evolving effective monitoring and evaluation strategies would act as the key instruments for the success of the rural sanitation programme with sustainability.

The Guidelines were designed for the use of the implementing agencies and also for assisting the local authorities in the rural sanitation development with appropriate training programmes covering social, technical and administrative issues of rural sanitation and were based on the existing practices and technologies that are relevant to the local conditions. International best practices in the field of rural sanitation were also integrated with the ongoing sanitation innovations in Mozambique so as to implement improved sanitation services with hygiene awareness in different Provinces of the country.

Workshop for Masons

It is expected that it would facilitate to promote sensitized citizenry with awareness, motivation and participation towards sanitation, intensive and responsive involvement of all stakeholders with a more effective role of civic bodies and private sector, proactive mindset towards sanitation, hygiene and environmental protection, publicprivate- people partnership, creating awareness through school children and teachers as Agents of Change and improved health, hygiene and sanitation in the society.

Workshop for Masons

Contact Programmes with Developed Nations.

The above has been the view point of the third world countries. The developed countries like France do derive benefits from the efforts of the Sulabh in sanitation. Sulabh provides two to three months placement programmes in the water, sanitation, health and hygiene sector including Sulabh research and development to the engineering students of ISTOM, France as an integral part of their curriculum towards practical dimension to the teaching programme at their institution. The students are oriented on sanitation technologies, bio-energy and waste water treatment systems developed by the Sulabh as well as its other initiatives including women empowerment through inter-active sessions, on-site demonstration and technical visits to different cities/towns in India.

GOI-UNDP Project on National Strategy for Urban Poor on Solid waste disposal through Vermicomposting and improvement of environment by strengthening community –based organization.

Cultural programme amidst sanitation workers

Solid waste management constitutes a serious urban problem in the mega cities of India. It is observed that garbage disposal, waste recycling and urban poverty are closely linked. In most of the cities, the system of waste picking is visible on municipal dumping sites. The waste pickers play an intrinsic role in the handling of the citie’s garbage and play an important role in the existing solid waste management in most of the big cities. There are three major steps involved in the management of garbage viz. collection, transportation and disposal. (CTD). The Project cost is about Rs. 1.2 million for one and half year.

Sulabh training-cum-demonstration site of vermi composting.

Aims and Objectives of the Project - Improvement of Environmental practices for the management of solid waste. Demonstration to the community that recycling is a viable source for employment generation,Gender sensitization, Setting up of institution, at the Community level to sustain the system and reorganization and re-use of open spaces to improve the micro climate and accessibility to the people (improvement of water bodies, plantation soil improvement etc.) Target Groups are 2000 House holds in the Madipur Rehabilitated Colony. The activities are mainly Awareness Generation, Cleanliness drive, School Sanitation and cleanliness of school premises, Demonstration of rain harvesting, Vermicompost ing, Training and Gender sensitization, Greening and improvement of locality Organisation of workshops and meetings.

Clean Yamuna Munch Project on Yamuna Action

Plan–II sponsored by Govt. of India and JBIC, Japan at Agra.

The key objectives of Clean Yamuna Manch, Agra are:

1. Enhancing public awareness and participation.
2. Develop greater understanding and popularity for all YAP sewerage and non-sewerage components,
3. Promote higher visibility, positive image and support among policy makers and the general public,
4. Promoting behavioural change towards adoption of environment-friendly practices among the public,
5. Creating a network of stakeholders which shall gradually take over activities of Clean Yamuna Manch beyond the project period
6. Sensitizing and supporting the Civic Bodies in achieving the objectives of YAP.

Training in Segregation of household waste

Tree plantation activity.

Since the stretch of the Yamuna in the cities of Delhi and Agra is the most polluted, special emphasis needs to be laid on finding and implementing both socio-cultural and techno-economic solutions to meet this gargantuan problem. While the main focus of YAP-I was on developing techno-economic solutions such as STPs, ETPs, Public Toilets and provision of other physical facilities, YAP-II goes beyond it to recognize the importance and necessity of greater public involvement, adoption of environment-friendly practices and obtaining popular support for the project as a whole. Therefore the emphasis of the Clean Yamuna Manch, Agra is on generating public participation so that various target groups can come forward to contribute their best to make the YAP a sustainable People’s Programme.

The project shall adopt a five-pronged strategy to achieve its goals and objectives. The budget of this project is about Rs. 2 Crores for the period of 3 years.

1. Developing and implementing a series of interlinked and synergized activities that enhance awareness levels among all constituencies such as policymakers, civic officials, NGOs, CBOs, partner organizations, media and, very importantly, the general public.
2. Creation of a stakeholders’ network comprising eminent personalities, civic bodies, political elected representatives, industry, educational institutions, civil society, media and community leaders to ensure sustainability of project activities and objectives.
3. Higher degree of transparency leading to the proactive provision of relevant and complete information to all stakeholders to bring about their more effective participation.
4. Policy advocacy towards informing and influencing the relevant policymakers in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and creating an overall enabling environment for formation and implementation of river pollution prevention policies.
5. Sustainability of all initiatives undertaken: (i) sectorally in terms of institutional, behavioural, and policy sustainability, and community based initiatives, (ii) temporal in terms of sustainability of the project activities and objectives going beyond the project period.

Popular representatives from various walks of life will be identified and sensitized. They in turn will promote/motivate the various target groups and also participate in and facilitate the activities of the PPA programme to enhance its utilization of facilities and strengthen its operation and maintenance.

The People Participation and Awareness Generation under PP&A Component of Yamuna Action Plan Phase-II.

In the following towns of Haryana and U.P.

The programmes are being implemented in close association PHED Department, Govt. of Haryana.

1. Gurgaon
2. Faridabad
3. Yamuna Nagars
4. Noida

South African delegate visiting training cum demonstration site of vermi-composting.

The activities under the above programme are namely Socio-Economic and Environment Upgradation of CTC Neighbourhood Community Programme, Town Specific Innovative Programmeand School Sanitation and Health and Hygiene Programme for all the above mentioned towns, so as to achieve the maximum utilities of the infrastructures created during YAP phase-I programme. The Project is for two and half years and the budget is about Rs. Millions for the four major towns.