Water law reforms – dissemination and capacity building on drinking water and sanitation – further understanding of ongoing reforms and capacity building - Arghyam

Project Summary

The primary effort of this research is to understand the ongoing reforms and capacity building efforts in the arenas of drinking water and sanitation in India. The research will address the following questions:

What is the definition of “drinking water”?
What should be the principles for the inter-sectoral allocation of water?
How can equity in access to drinking water be ensured?
Is there a need to consider groundwater together with surface water in the context of drinking water?
How far and to what extent has decentralisation/participation been followed in the context of drinking water supply and sanitation?
What are the limitations of water quality standards?
How can the South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) Declaration be effectively operationalized?
Is there a need for a drinking water and sanitation legislation?

Outputs

Basic research has already been done and will be supplemented by further document gathering and applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Information will be gathered at the local level, involving field visits and workshops.
ELRS will identify policy and law solutions that can be effectively implemented and that directly contribute to enhancing people’s access to water and sanitation.