State workshop on ‘Planning and implementing effective septage management - Supporting city’s journey beyond ODF and improved river health in U.P’

Oct. 22, 2018 
Venue:  Hotel Clarks Awadh, Lucknow Organised by CSE & Department of Urban Development, Uttar Pradesh 

CSE had organized a State Workshop on “Planning and Implementing Effective Faecal Sludge Management” in Lucknow on 22nd October 2018. The workshop is one of the series of activities planned under the partnership between CSE and DoUDGovt of Uttar Pradesh for a 3 year long support to the State.

The Chief Guest of the Workshop was Mr Manoj Kumar Singh Principal Secretary, DoUD (UP) and the workshop was attended by the key State Level Dignitaries like State Mission Director AMRUT, Addl Mission Director SBM, Officials for U P Jal Nigam, Municipal Commissioners / Executive Officers of 30 ULBs. Speakers in the event included Chief Executive of WaterAid India and representatives from IWMI, WaterAid, NIUA, RCUES and various private technology providers from across the country. The event also had International representation with representatives from WaterAid Bangladesh and IWMI Sri Lanka attending the event in person and representatives from Malaysia and Philippines joining remotely.

In this event, CSE launched a report “MANAGING SEPTAGE IN CITIES OF UTTAR PRADESH -An analysis of the sanitation chain in 30 cities, through SFDs” and released 2 web based tools for sanitation planning “MOUNT” and “SANIKIT”. CSE also launched a ‘Forum for cities that manage their Septage’.

• The Report 'MANAGING SEPTAGE IN CITIES OF UTTAR PRADESH 
• The 'MOUNT' tool 
• The 'SANIKIT' tool

Outcome and Way Forward:  The Conference helped sensitize the State and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Officials on the needs and best practices related to effective Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) in the cities. Practical challenges and constraints in implementing FSSM and their solutions were discussed. The Principal Secretary, DoUD (UP) encouraged the ULBs to use the best technologies available and create good examples of FSSM in the state.  

Way Forward for 'Forum for Cities that Manage their Septage': The Cities who have already taken action with respect to FSM in their cities and aspire and commit to be the focal point for other cities to manage their septage would be requested to join this Forum. The objectives of the Forum would be as follows:

• Developing a knowledge exchange platform for participating cities on managing faecal sludge and septage
• Training and capacity building on the intervention across sanitation value chain for citywide sanitation.
• Tracking and assessing the progress of cities
• Forum cities to become pioneer cities and handhold other cities on technical, economic and social aspects of FSSM and preparing City Sanitation Plans
• Forum shall collate the feedback and inputs from the Forum cities and provide policy relevant information to the state governments and Centre on FSSM.
• Documentation of best practices.