An overview of status of drinking water and

sanitation in schools in India

Jammu & Kashmir

Himachal Pradesh
Punjab
Uttarakhand
Haryana
Arunachal Pradesh
Sikkim
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Assam
Nagaland
Bihar
Meghalaya
Manipur
Jharkhand West Tripura
Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Bengal Mizoram

Chhattisgarh

Orissa
Maharashtra

Andhra Pradesh

Goa
Karnataka

Andaman &
Tamil Nadu Nicobar Islands

Kerala
Lakshadweep

unite for children

 Global WASH-in-Schools scenario
WASH interventions critical for child survival Childrens health improves with WASH in Schools

50% Schools with quality WASH programmes can effectively reduce the transmission of
Percentage reduction in morbidity from

diseases. More than 40 per cent of diarrhoea cases in schoolchildren result from
45% transmission in schools rather than homes
40% 44%
42%
39% WASH in Schools increases attendance and cognitive development
diarrhoeal diseases

35%
36%
30% Education and health are inseparable. Nutrition deficiencies, diarrhoea and worm
infestations are all related to poor WASH and all affect school participation and
25% learning. WASH in Schools is a first step towards ensuring a healthy physical
20% learning environment. Schools with quality WASH programmes can effectively
23%
increase attendance and learning outcomes
15%
10% Students are agents of change in their communities

5% Globally, around 2.65 billion people live without access to proper toilet facilities,
and 883 million dont have access to safe water. WASH in Schools can help
0%
mitigate the risks and overcome the challenges. Children are generally more
Handwashing Hygiene Water Quality Sanitation Water Supply receptive to new ideas and can more easily change their behaviour and promote
improved practices within their families and among their communities
Findings from statistical data analyzed by Cairncross (2008) reveal that improved water supply & sanitation
can contribute to 23% and 36% decreased morbidity due to diarrhoea. Moreover, finding from the meta- WASH in Schools promotes gender equality
analysis by Fewtrell & Colford using handwashing and hygiene promotion data reveal that handwashing &
hygiene promotion alone contribute to 44% and 42% reduction in morbidity due to diarrhoea, implying that
WASH in Schools fosters social inclusion and individual self-respect by offering an
handwashing at critical times can prove vital. Source: Meta-analysis by Fewtrell and Colford, 2004; Hand
alternative to stigma and marginalization. Girls in developing countries, for
washing data by Curtis & Cairncross, 2003; Updated sanitation data by Cairncross, 2008
example, often report that issues related to managing menstrual hygiene cause
them to be absent from school, frequently a first step towards dropping out
What is WASH in Schools? altogether.

Access to sufficient quantities of safe water for Improving WASH in Schools is achievable
Drinking
Handwashing, cooking and personal hygiene Every school can be equipped with quality WASH programmes. Students, teachers,
communities, local and national governments, civil society and private companies
Sufficient water for
all need to work together. Media and public opinion around the world can
Cleaning influence political leaders to act now
flushing toilets, school farms etc. when appropriate.
Toilet facilities that are
Sufficient, adequate and Child friendly, gender specific, culturally appropriate,
separate and well maintained toilet facilities for boys and girls.
Personal hygiene materials
Water, soap, sanitary pads etc.
Safe disposal of solid and liquid waste
Hygiene education
Curriculum, wall paintings, competitions, child cabinets etc.
Control measures to reduce transmission and morbidity of WASH related illnesses.
Approach to control vector borne disease
De-worming campaigns, nutritional supplements

Drinking water and sanitation facilities in schools still remain a challenge in most countries
Percentage of schools with drinking water Percentage of schools with sanitation facilities 28
facilities 34 countries 100 countries
100
80 Girls Boys
80
60
60 47 42 43
46 37 38
40
40

20 20

0 0
2008 2009 2008 2009

Source: Data from UNICEF Country Office Annual Reports 2008 & 2009. Water data from 34 countries, Sanitation data from 28 countries.

40 per cent of the global population some 2.65 billion people live without access to proper toilet facilities, and 883 million dont have access to
safe water. More than 4,000 children under age five die from diarrhoea every day. This is a global crisis, and WASH in Schools can help. WASH in and
through schools is one of the best routes to reach entire communities. Direct engagement with students can lead to community adoption of good
WASH behaviors and technologies as well as improved health. Because children are agents of change, education for good hygiene practices in
schools links students, families and communities.
 Water and sanitation facilities in schools in India
Impressive coverage of drinking water facilities in schools from 2005-06 to 2009-10
1,400,000 Total no. of schools - 13,62,324 95
Number of schools having drinking water facility has
93 93
1,200,000 increased from nearly 0.9 million (~83%) in 2005-06 to
90
87
88 1.30 million (93%) in 2010-11.
1,000,000
85 Drinking water facilities in rural schools increased from
83 85 nearly 0.7 million schools (82%) in 2005-06 to nearly 0.85
800,000
million schools (93%) in 2009-10.*
600,000
80 In all, 181 million children in schools have access to
400,000 drinking water facilities.*
75 [Source: DISE, NUEPA, New Delhi]
200,000

0 70
2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
No. of schools with drinking water facility Perentage of schools with drinking water facility

Separate toilets for girls need to become a priority

Total no. of schools - 13,62,324 Number of schools having toilet facility has increased
1,100,000 Total no. of girls & Co-ed schools - 13,42,843 100 from 0.6 million (~52%) in 2005-06 to ~1.14 million
1,000,000 90 (84%) in 2010-11.
80 84
900,000 80 In rural schools, toilet facility increased from 0.4
800,000 67 70
million schools (49%) in 2005-06 to 0.7 million schools
63
700,000 58 60 (79%) in 2009-10, where they have at least one toilet
60 60
Percentage

54
52 facility.*
Coverage

600,000 51
50
500,000 43 In all, more than 160 million children in schools have
37 40 access to toilet facilities.*
400,000
300,000
30 Number of schools having separate toilet facility for
200,000 20 girls increased from ~0.4 million (~37%) in 2005-06 to
10
~0.8 million (~60%) in 2009-10.*
100,000
However over 0.5 million (~40%) schools do not have
0 0
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-2011
this facility.*
No. of schools with toilets No. of schools with separate girls' toilets
[Source: DISE, NUEPA, New Delhi]
%age of schools with toilets %age of schools with separate girls' toilet

Total Sanitation Campaign accelerated provision of toilets in rural Urban schools face similar challenges of drinking
government schools water & toilet facilities

Cumulative number of of toilets constructed under Total 120

Sanitation Campaign 97
1,400,000 1,224,191 100 93
89
1,101,720
Percentage of schools

1,200,000 79
996,211 80
1,000,000 851,731
60
800,000
598,727
600,000 40
362,468
400,000 230,926 20
200,000
0
0 drinking water facility toilet facility
2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
Rural Urban

The Total Sanitation Campaign supports the School Sanitation & Hygiene The situation in urban schools is also similar to those in rural
Education programme. Launched in the year 2004-05, nearly 1.22 million toilets areas. [Source: DISE 2009-10, NUEPA, New Delhi]
have been constructed in rural government schools under the program. [Source:
http://tsc.gov.in, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Government of India

* Calculated on basis of DISE disaggregated data (2009-10). To be updated for 2010-11, when disaggregated data 2010-11 is available.
 The functionality disparity
Functionality of water and toilet facilities continues to remain as a major gap to be plugged

Though 93% schools have drinking water facility, only 82 %

93
80 schools have improved drinking water facility, while it is
100 76
functional in only 79% schools (as against availability).
Percentage of schools

61
Functional drinking water facility is less than 60% in
Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
50 Only Six out of 10 schools have functioning toilet facilities.
Out of the ~2.7 million toilets, over 2 million (~76%) are
functional.
0 In 3 states ( AP, Nagaland and Meghalaya) less than 50% of
Drinking water Sanitation the toilets are functional.
[Source: DISE 2009-10, NUEPA, New Delhi]
Coverage Functional

Independent assessment of WASH facilities in schools show a similar trend in functionality

100 Facility Vs Functionality One in ten rural schools are without toilet facilities. Where toilets
90 90 exist, only one in two is usable.
90
Percentage of schools

84 [Source: Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2010

80 77

70 75

60

50 56 56
51
2005 2007 2009 2010
Percentage of schools with drinking water facility Percentage of schools with functional drinking water facility

State-wise functionality of drinking water facilities in

schools* State-wise functionality of toilets in schools*

Jammu & Kashmir 62.9

Jammu & Kashmir
69.8
Himachal Pradesh 90.7 Himachal Pradesh
Chandigarh 99.4 Chandigarh
Punjab 96.0 Arunachal Pradesh 53.3 75.3 Punjab 96.4 Arunachal Pradesh
Haryana 86.8 Uttarakhand 69.3
Haryana 95.2 Uttarakhand Assam 60.7
Delhi 97.9 Meghalaya 46.7 88.1 78.5 Sikkim 73.7
Delhi 91.6
Sikkim 81.1 96.2
Rajasthan 80.5 Uttar Pradesh 82.5 Uttar Pradesh
Assam 77.6 Nagaland 38.6 Rajasthan
Bihar 67.2 85.8 77.8 Bihar Meghalaya
52.5 Nagaland
45.7 32.3
West Bengal 81.7 Manipur 56.9
Madhya Pradesh 79.6 Madhya Pradesh Jharkhand
Gujarat 85.1 Jharkhand 69.4 Gujarat Manipur
82.8 51.7 Tripura 85.4
86.5 67.6 Mizoram
Chhattisgarh 76.2 Mizoram 69.2 Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 92.3 Orissa 74.8 Tripura 66.2 68.3 Orissa West Bengal 89.2
Maharashtra 57.2 82.8
Maharashtra 85.5 D&N Haveli
Daman & Diu 97.2 93.5
92.4
Daman & Diu Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh 64.6 84.0
31.0
Goa 88.8 Karnataka 88.2 Goa Karnataka
83.9 61.3
Puducherry 98.7 Puducherry
93.1
Lakshadweep 97.7 Tamil Nadu 91.7 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 96.9 Lakshadweep Tamil Nadu Andaman & Nicobar Islands
National average - 79% Kerala 92.6 93.6 93.0 National average - 76% 100.0
Below 70% Kerala Below 75%
70 - 80% 89.2 75 - 90%
above 90%
Above 80%

Functionality of drinking water in schools is below the national average in 8 states (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.
Functionality of toilet facility in schools is less than the national average in 13 states, which implies that a lot has to
be done in ensuring safe sanitation to children in schools.
[Source: DISE 2009-10, NUEPA, New Delhi]

* Calculated on basis of DISE disaggregated data (2009-10). To be updated for 2010-11, when disaggregated data 2010-11 is available.
March 2012
 WASH in Schools progress- Acceleration required
Percentage of children (by enrolment) without Percentage of children (by enrolment) without
access to drinking water facility* access to toilet facility*

All India - 3.5% All India - 14%

More than 3.5% More than 14%
1.5 - 3.5 % 5 - 14%
Less than 1.5% Less than 5%

Although the availability of drinking water stands at 93% in schools across India, yet a total 6.50 million children (3.46 % children of total enrolment) do not
have access to drinking water facility in schools.,
13 states (Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Manipur and
Andhra Pradesh) account for more than 3.39 million children without access to drinking water facility in schools.
A total of 27.6 million children (14.1 million boys and 13.5 million girls) accounting for 14.7% of total children enrolled do not have access to toilet facility in
schools.
7 states (Orissa, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam and Bihar) account for almost 50% (13.8 million) children without access to toilet facilities in
schools.
[Source: DISE 2009-10, NUEPA, New Delhi]

Toilets in all schools and separate toilets for girls is still a long way to go..

Percentage of schools without toilets

100 91
79
73 69 70 70
80
63 64
53 56 52 50
60 48 45
38 37 38 39 36 40 42 40 40 40
35 31 35
40 28
33 30 32 34
23 20 20 24 27
24
18 16 16 17 19
20 11 11
5 5 5 7
12
7 9 9 9 10 10 10 13
0 0 0 2 2 2 2 3
0
Puducherry
Punjab

Kerala

Rajasthan
Chandigarh

Mizoram

Himachal Pradesh
All India

Bihar
Daman & Diu

West Bengal
Goa

Jharkhand

Chhattisgarh
Tamil Nadu

Manipur
Gujarat

Karnataka

Orissa

Madhya Pradesh

Assam
Uttarakhand
Delhi

Maharashtra

Nagaland

Uttar Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh
Lakshadweep

Tripura

D & N Haveli
Sikkim

Haryana

A & N Islands

Percentage of schools without toilets Percentage of schools without girls' toilets

Improving access to toilets in 6 states (UP, MP, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Assam would reduce the gap by 50%.
Similarly, improving the access to girls toilets in 7 states (Chhattisgarh, J&K, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa, Assam, Manipur and
MP) would reduce the gap by 50%.
[Source: DISE 2010-11, NUEPA, New Delhi]

* Calculated on basis of DISE disaggregated data (2009-10). To be updated for 2010-11, when disaggregated data 2010-11 is available.
 Hygiene practices - key to child survival & development
Handwashing with soap before Mid Day Meal still remain a challenge.

Percentage of schools with designated Percentage of schools with soap/detergent

Handwashing space for handwashing
49
12
51 Yes
88 No

Schools with designated handwashing space

Schools without designated handwashing space

Material used for handwashing before MDM

42

49

Water Soap/ detergent

Findings of an assessment conducted in 540 schools in nine states in India on Mid Day Meal (MDM) program reveal that:
Nearly half (51%) of the schools have a designated hand washing space and in 44% of the schools observed the hand washing
space was being used.
Only close to one in ten (12%) of schools had soap/detergent available at the hand washing space.
Nearly half (49%) of the students washed their hands using only water. Only two out of five (42%) students use
soap/detergent.
[Source: Hygiene Practices in schools during Mid-Day Meals, UNICEF-India study 2009 unpublished]

Policy environment for WASH in schools in India

Constitution
Article 21-A free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right
Legislation
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009
RTE necessitates ensuring drinking water and sanitation facilities at school level
Supreme Courts sets deadline for all states to ensure water and sanitation facility by November 2011.
Policy Implementation
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for universalizing elementary education
School Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE) component of Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC)
Nirmal Gram Puraskar (Clean Village Award) mandates functional toilets in all Government, Government aided and private
schools and all Co - ed Upper Primary schools to have separate toilets for boys and girls.
NGP incentive amount can be used for creation of additional sanitation facilities in schools & anganwadis and construction of
incinerators in girls schools.