By Hemalatha Patil, State Programme Director, WaterAid India

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WaterAid India, as part of the Saamuhika Shakti initiative, addresses the critical water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs of Bengaluru's waste picker communities. Through concerted efforts, it aims to uplift the socio-economic and living conditions of waste pickers, who form the backbone of waste management systems yet are often marginalised and excluded from basic services. Through collaborating with other partners in the initiative, WaterAid India also aims to empower communities to sustain these services through education and capacity-building.

Over the past four years (2020–2024), WaterAid India has worked to provide these communities with access to clean water, safe sanitation, and improved hygiene. It has also fostered awareness and community-led solutions to ensure long-term sustainability.

WaterAid India’s involvement in the Saamuhika Shakti initiative underscores its commitment to improving WASH infrastructure and promoting equity and inclusion for underserved communities. The objective has been clear: to ensure that waste pickers and their families—often neglected in urban planning—have access to the essential WASH services that are fundamental to dignity, safety, and health. By collaborating with other partners in the initiative, WaterAid India has aimed to address the pressing need for WASH facilities while empowering communities to sustain these services through education and capacity-building.
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Impact: Infrastructure, Awareness, and Community Empowerment

In Phase 1 of the initiative(2020–2023), WaterAid India focused on building and refurbishing WASH infrastructure, enhancing access to clean water, and raising awareness about hygiene and menstrual health.

1. ‍ Infrastructure Development: In the intervention areas, communities faced significant challenges due to inadequate or poorly maintained WASH infrastructure. Many lacked access to essential facilities, while others had infrastructure that had deteriorated over time and was no longer functional. Recognising these gaps, WaterAid India, in collaboration with local stakeholders, initiated the refurbishment and construction of critical WASH facilities.
   
   ‍Toilets: The project included the refurbishment of existing community toilets, transforming unusable structures into clean, safe, and accessible sanitation facilities. For households without any water supply, new connections were established, providing piped water to 157 homes, significantly improving their access to clean drinking water. Additionally, 12 handwashing stations were strategically installed in schools and public spaces, promoting hygiene practices among both children and adults. Tailored solutions were also developed for waste picker families, addressing their unique needs. These included specially designed community toilets and washing areas, ensuring inclusivity and ease of use.

Collectively, these interventions directly impacted 6,408 individuals, reducing their vulnerability to waterborne diseases and creating a healthier living environment.
   
   ‍‍Handwashing stations: In many intervention areas, the absence of child-friendly WASH facilities presented significant challenges, particularly for children aged 3–6 years. Existing handwashing stations were primarily designed for adults, leaving young children unable to access them easily. Toilets were often misused as makeshift washing areas for utensils, compounding hygiene issues and creating unsafe environments. To address these gaps, the project implemented child-friendly WASH infrastructure.
   
   Handwashing stations were designed at a lower height with playful, colourful elements to engage children and encourage independent hygiene practices. Toilets were refurbished with child-appropriate features like smaller pans and safety rails, ensuring safety and usability. Dedicated washing areas for utensils were marked out, preventing misuse of sanitation facilities. Alongside these improvements, behaviour change campaigns were conducted to teach children proper hygiene practices and sensitise caregivers. The community was actively involved in the planning and implementation, fostering ownership and ensuring culturally appropriate designs.
   
   To address the safety concerns and accessibility challenges for children in Anganwadis, the design of toilet doors and handwashing stations was carefully tailored to be more child-friendly and inclusive. These enhancements included modifications to door handles and locks ,ensuring they were easy for children to operate independently while preventing accidental lock-ins. The handwashing stations were customised with lower heights and colourful, engaging designs to appeal to young users, fostering a sense of independence and encouraging proper hygiene practices.
   
   Recognising the need for inclusive infrastructure, additional handwashing facilities were installed for adults within the Anganwadis to ensure that caregivers and staff also had access to proper hygiene amenities. This dual approach not only addressed the needs of children but also supported the adults who play a crucial role in nurturing and educating them. These tailored interventions have significantly improved the functionality and safety of WASH facilities in Anganwadis, creating an environment that promotes hygiene, safety, and inclusivity for all users.
   
   These initiatives have improved sanitation standards for children, promoted lifelong hygiene habits and created a safer, healthier environment in schools and communities.
   
   For insights on how access to water has changed their lives, view this video: 📹: Mohammed Ali is Empowered With Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

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2. Menstrual Health and Hygiene Awareness: Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) remains a significant challenge due to a lack of awareness about available facilities and deeply ingrained cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. Many individuals are hesitant to discuss menstrual health openly, leading to the continued reliance on traditional practices such as using cloth pads, often without adequate knowledge of safe usage and hygiene. Additionally, disposal mechanisms for menstrual waste are either absent or insufficient, exacerbating environmental and health concerns. While alternative menstrual products such as sanitary pads, menstrual cups and reusable cloth pads are available, awareness and access to these options remain limited. Bridging these gaps requires targeted education, infrastructure improvements, and culturally sensitive community engagement.
   
   A significant component of the work involved conducting 80 workshops on menstrual health and hygiene, reaching 472 women and adolescent girls. These sessions not only raised awareness about menstrual hygiene management but also equipped participants with practical knowledge about using sanitary products safely and sustainably. This has been instrumental in breaking taboos and empowering women to prioritise their health and hygiene.
   
   Views from mother-daughter pairs from the MHM event held on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, May 28: 📹: From the Sidelines of the Maa-Beti (Mother-Daughter) Menstrual Health Awareness Workshop

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3. Building Community Ownership: WaterAid India adopted a community-led approach to ensure ownership and sustainability by actively seeking consent and involving the community at every stage. As part of building the capacity of community structures, we integrated operation and maintenance (O&M) facilities to ensure long-term functionality. To strengthen these efforts, we identified and empowered leaders and champions across the community, ensuring gender balance to promote inclusive representation and participation.
   
   75 WASH Champions were identified and given training—62% of whom were women—to act as community leaders and advocates for WASH practices. Additionally, seven O&M committees were formed to ensure the long-term functionality of the infrastructure. These committees, comprising community members, were trained to manage and maintain the facilities, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.
   
   WaterAid India team conducts regular discussions to strengthen the functionality of the seven O&M committees, ensuring they remain active and effective. Monthly follow-up meetings are held to monitor progress and address challenges, fostering sustainability in the long run. Through this process, emphasis is also laid on the importance of proper book keeping and accounts management, enabling transparency and accountability. The committees are trained to allocate funds judiciously, prioritising necessary repairs and maintenance of the infrastructure to ensure its continued usability. Additionally, each committee is equipped with an O&M kit to address minor repairs promptly, reducing dependency on external resources and building local capacity for infrastructure upkeep. This holistic approach not only ensures the longevity of the facilities but also empowers the community to take ownership of their maintenance.
   
   The proof is in the pudding as they say! The sanitation facilities remain clean and hygienic, thanks to the structured maintenance system in place. A dedicated sweeper or cleaner has been appointed to ensure the regular upkeep of these facilities, addressing issues like cleanliness, hygiene, and waste management. This arrangement is sustained through a pay-per-use model,
   
   Pay-per-use model: The pay-per-use model enhances sustainability by making the system self-reliant and less dependent on external funding. By directly linking usage to maintenance, the community takes ownership of the facilities and contributes to their upkeep. This approach also fosters a sense of responsibility and accountability among users, while also ensuring a steady stream of revenue to cover operational expenses, including the cleaner's salary and minor maintenance costs. Over time, as usage increases and the model is fine-tuned based on community feedback, it can become a scalable and replicable solution for maintaining sanitation facilities in similar settings.
   
   Tulsiamma from Deshianagar and Allahbaksh from Gangondanahalli share their views on O&M committees and how proper sanitation facilities have helped the communities: 📹: What does the Future hold?
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Numbers That Tell a Story

The tangible impact of WaterAid India’s work can be seen in the improved living conditions and enhanced quality of life for waste picker communities.

By providing 1,614 families with access to clean water and sanitation facilities, the project has significantly reduced health risks and improved productivity. The infrastructure upgrades have saved families time and resources, enabling them to focus on their livelihoods. Additionally, the empowerment of women and youth through leadership roles has strengthened community cohesion and resilience.

Scaling Sustainable WASH Interventions

In Phase 2 of the Saamuhika Shakti initiative, WaterAid India is focused on scaling WASH interventions and ensuring its sustainability. The plan is to expand coverage to 10 notified and five non-notified slums, with a focus on addressing infrastructure gaps, strengthening O&M committees, and fostering women’s leadership indecision-making processes. The key priorities include:

• Enhanced WASH Infrastructure: Expanding the reach of water and sanitation facilities to underserved areas, while introducing innovative solutions tailored to local needs
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• Capacity Building: Providing training and support to O&M committees to ensure they can manage and maintain WASH infrastructure effectively
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• Community Engagement: Strengthening the involvement of women and youth in WASH governance, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are addressed
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• Collaborative Action: Partnering with government agencies, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to amplify the impact and sustainability of WASH interventions

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By addressing the unique challenges faced by waste picking families and empowering them to take ownership of WASH facilities, the initiative is not only transforming lives but also setting a benchmark for sustainable urban development.

By fostering collaboration, innovation and community-driven solutions, the project envisions a future where waste picker communities in Bengaluru can thrive with dignity, safety and equality.

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