India faces significant challenges in managing Fecal sludge across both urban and rural areas due to
inadequate collection systems, limited treatment infrastructure, and insufficient institutional capacity.
With a majority of households relying on onsite sanitation systems such as septic tanks and pits, unsafe
desludging and improper disposal frequently lead to contamination of water bodies, unhygienic surroundings,
and severe public health risks.
To overcome these challenges, national sanitation missions—including Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban and
Grameen) and AMRUT—emphasize achieving safely managed sanitation through systematic Fecal Sludge and Septage
Management (FSSM). The missions promote regular desludging, co-treatment at existing STPs/FSTPs, and the
adoption of decentralized, cost-effective treatment solutions suited to both small towns and rural
settlements.
WASH Institute, in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Department of
Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), state governments, and urban local bodies (ULBs)/Gram Panchayats,
supports the development and implementation of scalable FSM approaches including technology design, operator
training, desludging protocols, treatment plant planning, and monitoring mechanisms.
