Citizens First Campaign on Drinking Water and Sanitation Accountability - Scaling pilots at City level Phase-I&II

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a basic human right. In urban areas, the economically backward section of the population living in squalid condition excluded from the basic amenities. Many initiatives were underway to bring about the much needed change which ensures that the urban poor live a dignified life with access to their basic right to life. To that end, SaciWATERs, launched “Citizens First Campaign on Drinking Water and Sanitation Accountability - Scaling pilots at City level". The main objectives of the campaign were to reach out in slum areas to promote awareness around water rights and sanitation through capacity building and awareness on need and importance for behavioral changes through community platform Basti Vikas Manch. Through this initiative scaling up (from 3 wards to 10 wards) was targeted wherein there is vertical and horizontal expansion of the slum development platform.

The outcomes of the Phase-I of the campaign, led to active public participation and transparency in governments decision making processes, increased awareness level and empowerment of poor people. Furthermore, it paved a way for implementing Phase II of the campaign which aimed to strengthen the Basti Vikas Manch. To that, the activities were divided into five parts parts Research and knowledge capacity building school children and management pilot implementation documentation and reporting.