IRC's podcast series WASH Talk shares ideas on changes the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector has to make in order to contribute to achieving universal access by 2030. To do so speakers from all over the world are given a voice in this podcast series. Find out more on www.ircwash.org/washtalk. These are the shownotes of the WASH Talk podcast with Naina Lal Kidwai, a banker and former CEO of HSBC India, who is also the Founding Chair of the India Sanitation Coalition (ISC). She has written a new book "Survive or Sink: An Action Agenda For Sanitation, Water, Pollution and Green Finance” and talks about the need for holistic response to the sanitation challenge in India, about urban and rural responses, about government and civil society responsibilities, among other topics. Listen to the full podcast at: https://soundcloud.com/ircwash/ep19-an-agenda-for-sanitation-in-india-with-naina-lal-kidwai

1. Supporting water sanitation
and hygiene services for life
August 2018
WASH Talk Podcast
Episode 19: An Agenda
for Sanitation in India
Naina Lal Kidwai of the India
Sanitation Coalition

2. Introduction
− Prime Minister Narendra Modi made sanitation a political priority when he
launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aims to make the country open
defecation-free by 2019. It will then rid itself of being the world’s largest
open defecator.
− On this episode, we talk about the need for a holistic response to the
sanitation challenge in India, about urban and rural differences, about
government and civilian responsibilities, and other topics.
− Naina Lal Kidwai is our guest on the WASH Talk Podcast. She is a banker
by profession and is the former CEO of HSBC India, as well as the
Founding Chair of the India Sanitation Coalition (ISC). She has written a
new book "Survive or Sink: An Action Agenda For Sanitation, Water,
Pollution and Green Finance”.
− The following slides give a few key takeaways from the interview.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

3. Why is a holistic approach so important in
India?
− The ISC raises awareness about the build, use, maintain, and treat
aspects of sanitation, which they were doing even before Prime
Minister Modi initiated the Swachh Bharat Mission in India, to make
the country open defecation free by October 2019 - Gandhi's 150th
birthday.
− The ISC is promoting the concept of ODF plus - which is to actually
treat the waste rather than just letting the waste sit in septic tanks
and pits, otherwise the waste will find its way back into the water
bodies and fields which is what the sector was trying to avoid in the
first place.
− The ISC is also raising awareness about the connection between
sanitation and preventive health, using the shocking statistic that
1600 kids die every day in India, so they’re trying to mobilise the
health community to invest in preventative measures.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

4. Why do we need different solutions to rural and
urban sanitation in India?
− Seeing results in rural India has been easier than urban India,
mainly because the focus has been on provision of twin-pit toilets -
with huge behaviour change campaigns and financed through
subsidy and micro-finance - financing mechanisms which are not
new in India.
− In urban areas, the issue has been on workable technical solutions
for individual household toilets and shared, pay-for-use toilets, which
to date have been an issue.
− Going forward, the challenge will be to come up with workable
technical solutions for urban India and in the absence of widespread
sewerage, that waste is also treated.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

5. Who has the responsibility for creating impact
in sanitation? The market or the government?
− ICS was setup to improve collaboration, after four NGOs were found
to be working in Bihar and no one knew of the other's work.
− Citizens need to drive solutions forward, initiated by governments
who provide the incentives for citizens to take action, civil society
organisations who activate the community into action, and corporate
support who provide the financing.
− Citizens are also essential in holding governments accountable –
especially the treatment part, which is why treatment needs to form
part of behaviour change messages.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

6. Is an ongoing subsidy necessary for
entrepreneurs to profit from the circular
economy?− Business has a big part to play, especially in the urban
areas.
− Naina points to a model in Kampala where the
government encouraged businesses to operate in waste
collection, and businesses have been very successful as
a result.
− More incentives are needed to encourage entrepreneurs
into the sector, with policies and guidelines that are clear
and unambiguous.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

7. Is an ongoing subsidy necessary for
entrepreneurs to profit from the circular
economy?− Naina's inspiration to starting ISC was seeing India so far
behind compared to neighbouring countries, and seeing
how integral water and sanitation was to all Sustainable
Development Goals.
− ICS’s goal is to bring the corporate world to bear on the
sanitation challenge, which is now happening, whereby
corporate employees are taught about sanitation, they
take the message back to their villages, and become
agents of change.
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

8. Your next steps…
− Review these resources:
− ’Survive or Sink: An Action Agenda For Sanitation, Water, Pollution
and Green Finance’ https://www.amazon.in/Survive-Sink-Sanitation-
Pollution-Finance/dp/8129151405
− Insights dialogue on "Sanitation & Tourism" in India
https://www.ircwash.org/news/insights-dialogue-sanitation-tourism-
india
− Can India afford to spend less on rural sanitation?
https://www.ircwash.org/blog/can-india-afford-spend-less-rural-
sanitation
− Listen at https://www.ircwash.org/washtalk or on Soundcloud.com
− Add to the discussion by using the hashtag #WASHtalk on Twitter, or in
the comments on Facebook
WASH TALK PODCAST EPISODE 19: AN AGENDA FOR SANITATION
IN INDIA

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Supporting water sanitation
and hygiene services for life