The benefits of rapid growth and development of cities do not reach all its citizens equitably.  Slum dwellers are invariably left out and do not have access to even basic infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation. Compounding this problem is the existence of slums and its occupants that the city does not recognize.  This project sought to provide WatSan facilities to people in a sustainable manner. This was accomplished by adopting the following strategies:

• Advocacy with government to renovate community toilets and enable them to be managed by Self Help Groups.
• Training Self Help Groups to manage pay and use community toilets.
• Raising awareness on hygiene and safe water and sanitation practices.
• Helping people get individual water connections and sanitation units and  linkage  to credit through GUARDIAN Microfinance.
• Initiating community managed water and sanitation facilities in the newly approved Trichy slums.

The project was supported by Gramalaya’s strong women’s federation (WAVE) and Association for Water and Sanitation, Hygiene (AWASH) committees formed under this project.

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This project focused on increasing sanitation coverage and improving water supply and management on a large scale in Tiruchirapalli district, Tamil Nadu. Community based organisations were central to the effort by providing them with adequate awareness and capacity building.

The project focused on strengthening existing water supply systems, hygiene education, safeguarding water and sanitation infrastructure, promoting awareness on water conservation, etc. At the end of the project 44% of panchayats were declared Open Defecation Free. The involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI), women’s federation and the community helped increase sustainability of Watsan activities. Rainwater harvesting was successfully promoted during the project period and vermi-composting was introduced as a way to manage solid waste.

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While  the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) records show a very high coverage of sanitation in Tamil Nadu, this record remains true mostly only on paper. This project therefore aims to increase the access of water and sanitation to poor communities in Tamil Nadu by implementing the Gramalaya Model. It will promote water and sanitation through a networking approach and create open-defecation free (ODF) villages. Additionally, the project will build the capacities of other field NGOs to work in the water and sanitation sector. The project will serve to critically analyze and understand the Gramalaya Model and provide inputs through project lessons to the government at the state and central level.

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