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Transforming Sanitation Management in India through Digital Innovation
Context:
The National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance has launched ‘India for the World’.
- It is an infographic platform showcasing India’s progress in Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and the efforts of states in promoting safe and sustainable sanitation practices globally.
India has made significant strides in FSSM by building over 1,000 faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs). However, sustaining these systems requires an efficient and transparent management process.
- Digital monitoring has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionising FSSM practices across the country.
Benefits of Digital Monitoring in FSSM
- Enhanced Transparency and Efficiency: Digital tools like sensors, real-time data tracking, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a holistic view of the entire FSSM chain – collection, transportation, treatment, reuse/disposal.
- It allows for optimised collection routes, improved treatment facility management, and real-time identification of issues like system failures or overloading.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: GIS technology maps sanitation infrastructure, enabling effective planning of sanitation interventions.
- Mobile apps like SaniTab, mWater, Google Forms, and Kobo Toolbox streamline data collection.
- Satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies help to identify areas with high containment system concentration for targeted resource allocation.
- Improved Desludging Services: A digital dashboard with GPS tracking of desludging trucks, enhancing service efficiency by identifying high-demand areas and also deters theft with features like centralised command and control centres overseeing operations.
- For instance: In Odisha, all cesspool vehicles have GPS monitoring overseen by the Smart Cities command centre in Bhubaneshwar.
- Wai and Sinnar in Maharashtra utilise the SaniTrack app to monitor desludging services.
- Optimised Treatment Plant Performance: Digital sensors monitor treatment plants, tracking sludge and water levels, treatment efficiency, and overall system performance.
Digital Tools Empowering FSSM
- Sustainable Urban Services in a Jiffy by the Odisha Government (SUJOG) Platform (Odisha): This free, open-source platform powered by the DIGIT platform from eGov foundation facilitates data collection across the sanitation value chain, enabling identification of gaps and areas for improvement.
- FSMA has developed FSM Tool Box: This platform offers comprehensive knowledge on FSSM planning, design, and implementation, covering technical, financial, administrative, and regulatory aspects.
- Shit Flow Diagrams (SFD) by CSE: This analytical tool helps assess the sanitation situation in a town and supports advocacy and monitoring efforts.
- The Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has played a key role in formulating SFDs for several cities in India and the Global South, and promoting sustainable FSSM practices in these areas.
- E-learning platforms: Online platforms like Zoom and Moodle enable continuous training and knowledge dissemination for FSSM personnel.
- Menu on Un-Networked Technologies (MOUNT) and Sanitation Capacity Building Platform (SCBP.
Public Engagement and Capacity Building
- Digital communication channels like electronic media, podcasts, webinars, and social media are being used to raise public awareness about proper sanitation practices and the importance of regular desludging.
- Platforms like “MALASUR” by BBC Media Action serve as successful examples of such outreach campaigns.
Challenges: It includes Capital Investment, Cybersecurity, Technological Obsolescence, Limited Connectivity and Operation and Maintenance.
Recommendations for Sustainable Implementation
- Develop digital dashboards for tracking desludging services and treatment plant efficiency,Implement state-level monitoring systems,establish mechanisms for data privacy and security.
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NFSSM (National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management)
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Constitutional Provision Article 48A: Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife. Article 51A(g):To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures; |
