Sustainable Development goal 6 applies to different aspects of availability, accessibility and usage of

water as well as sanitation. It is apparent that the targets under goal 6 are closely linked to one another
and with other SDGs. Universal provision of drinking water and sanitation coverage can only be
attained if the water bodies are sustainably used and quality of water in these bodies is well
maintained. Moreover, maintenance of the water quality is further dependent on use and disposal of
water by agriculture, industries and other sectors. Among the major sources of water pollution are
industrial effluents and sewage, which are ultimately consequences of uncontrolled industrialisation
and urbanisation. Thus, goals relating to industrialisation and urbanisation must be addressed relating
to the targets of goal 6. The current government has set an ambitious target of providing sanitation
and water coverage to each and every place in India by 2020. Though India has almost achieved
universal drinking water coverage, it is far from the target of universal access to piped water and
matching the international norms in the terms of quantity of water provided.

With roughly 10% of rural population in India having no access to toilets, sanitation in India is a
major concern. Government had set out an ambitious task for itself 5 years ago that included not only
constructing toilets for all but also bringing about a behavioural change so that people understand the
hazards of open defecation and start using the toilets. This programme has effectively increased the
usage of toilets in India through advertisement campaign, financial help and infra structural support.

Water pollution is another major concern covered under this SDG. The most polluted river in India is
definitely river Ganga and our water pollution tend to focus on such rivers only but they are not the
only ones in need of immediate attention. Consider the example of Gujarat. Even as Gujarat has been
applauded for its glorious industrial development, the Gloden Corridor in South Gujarat has been
internationally criticized for significant land and water pollution, which has negatively affected the
lives of lakhs of people residing in the region. Four sites from Gujarat have figured in South Asia’s
most-polluted sites.

It is vital to take an integrated and balanced approach towards managing of water resources. Water is
a necessity for almost all sectors of the economy. Careful planning must be employed in allocation of
water to ensure sustainability. As fresh water is becoming a scarce resource, water efficiency needs to
be improved and thus research and development needs to be targeted in this direction. Challenge with
Goal 6 lies in the arena financial allocation and cooperative efforts by various stakeholders. The total
financial requirement for SDG 6 in India has been estimated at USD 199 billion with a gap of USD
123 billion in funding.

Way forward…

The need now is to build up on the existing initiatives with some degree of success, coming up with
innovative new solutions through dedicated research and also learning and adopting international best
practices. A leading example of the same is JUSCO (Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company). It
provides water and sanitation services in Jamshedpur which is a major East Indian industrial center
and is a home to TATA steel. JUSCO is a wholly owned subsidiary of TATA Steel setup in 2004. In
the years that followed, efficiency and service quality improved substantially. It encourages its
customers to drink directly from the tap. JUSCO envisions to be the preferred water supplier and other
urban services throughout India. It is a perfect example of social responsibility and concerted efforts
by the corporate with should be replicated to other regions by other corporates as well through support
by the government. Programmes like Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and National Rural Drinking Mission
have achieved marked success but goal is still far from being achieved. A bottom-up approach needs
to be followed for success of these missions. Rather than imposing national programmes on local
populace, regional efforts need to be nurtured and sustained for achieving Clean water and Sanitation
in the country.
As per Amartya Sen, “India is a type of country that looks more and more like islands of California in
a sea of sub-Saharan Africa”. In the context of clean water and sanitation, the challenge is that India
needs to overcome widely different problems at both sides of the spectrum; Californiac (urban) and
Sub-saharan (rural). On one hand, major cities like Chennai are facing scarcity of water because of
which the life almost came to a standstill few months ago and on the other hand, water crisis still
haunts the Maharashtrian village named Latur. In cities, there are huge piles of garbage to be seen,
some even reaching the size of hills. In rural areas, a significant portion of the populace still don’t
have access or don’t use toilets. These varying degree of problems can only be tackled through a
carefully planned and cooperative approach bringiong together all stakeholders; the government, the
corporates and the people.