Access to water and sanitation is a basic human right, yet in some areas of the world, it’s not always a guarantee. In the growing city of Pimpri-Chinchwad, India, where 8% of the over 2 million citizens live in slums, access to clean water is critical. And it’s something that the Urban Local Body of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) hopes to improve.

With the goal of not only improving sanitation infrastructure, but empowering local women and providing them with a sustainable livelihood, the Navi Disha Community Toilet Model was born.

“Over time, it was observed that the toilets managed by private operators in PCMC were not up to the mark,” explains Anoop Phanse, Associate Director leading the City Transformation Office project at PCMC. “Problems like hygiene, odour, water availability, deteriorating infrastructure, and cleanliness made it clear that it was necessary for a more inclusive and sustainable solution.”

Palladium, as a part of the ongoing assignment of City Transformation Office at PCMC, conceptualised Navi Disha, which would provide clean sanitation facilities in a sustainable way by employing community members, specifically local women. “A total of 41 groups of 10 women each are now handed the responsibility to operate and maintain the community toilets in 41 slums of PCMC under Navi Disha, benefiting around 19,000 people a day,” adds Phanse.

Giving the decision-making power to the women representatives from their local communities has given them a greater sense of ownership in managing the toilets. “There has been a great boost in the confidence of the employed women, along with a developed sense of ownership among the community,” explains Amit Patjoshi, CEO of Palladium India. The initiative is expected to be replicated in all 72 slums of Pimpri Chinchwad City, leading towards increased gender equality and women’s empowerment. “With this initiative, focus is on making the city open-defecation free and developing quality sanitation infrastructure for the community along with employment opportunities for women,” notes Patjoshi.

The work has not gone unnoticed.

Navi Disha was recently awarded the “Best Community Project of the Year (Private)” at the Water Digest Water Awards 2022-23. In partnership with UNESCO, these are India’s premier Environmental Awards and honour distinguished work carried out by various companies, NGOs, and individuals in order to treat, recycle, and conserve water. Navi Disha was honoured for its contributions to the well-being of the public and efforts that have uplifted the communities in which it works.

Patjoshi adds that a detailed Standard Operating Procedure has been prepared and handed over to PCMC for scaling up of the program across all the slums of the city. PCMC has also committed that in addition to the community toilets in the slums, they will hand over the operations of all public toilets in the municipality to various women groups interested in doing so.

“The award gave a platform to Navi Disha to demonstrate the ideology behind community engagement and inclusivity together to create a great result,” he concludes.

For more information, contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com.