Innovations for Complete Sanitation in Andhra Pradesh: Catalysing Future Actions

RALU-AP has been engaged in documenting innovations at the grassroots level to build a knowledge framework on what has worked and what has not worked in trying to achieve the goal of sanitation for all, with especial emphasis on gram panchayats becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF). Seventy innovations from all the thirteen districts of Andhra Pradesh have been documented. These case studies help identify factors (both positive and negative ) impacting the achievement of ODF status.

What institutional frameworks can support the positive factors while limiting the challenges faced at the community level? What mechanisms can support local level innovations and help to scale them to other locations? The one-day policy consultation organized in Vijaywada on 20 December 2016 discussed these and other questions, and possible policy modifications to enable the government as well as community achieve the goal of sanitation for all.

A cross-section of 78 experts, government functionaries, practitioners (sarpanchs and natural leaders), civil society and academia participated in the consultation. Community knowledge documented by the RALU-AP team was shared. Recommendations for policy modifications to encourage more innovations for successful sanitation initiatives at the grassroots and suggestions for further capacity enhancement of citizens and PRI members at the local level for scaling up sanitation practices were also discussed.