15 Dec Priority WASH Innovation Areas

Based on our team’s baseline study of WASH pain-points in Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur and by working with key city government officials, we have identified and prioritized the following urban WASH innovations that the IHUWASH Accelerator would focus on:

Water Related Innovations

 Safe Drinking Water

It is estimated that around 66%, 37% and 30% of households in the cities of NCR, Karnataka and Rajasthan respectively drink untreated or unpurified water. We are in search of innovations that make safe drinking water readily available at less than INR 1 per litre for these underserved urban households in Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur.

Last-mile Water Distribution

It is estimated that around 38%, 15% and 23% of households in Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur respectively do not have piped water connections. We are in search of innovations that can help these households to better collect, transport, store, use and reuse their water.

Recovering Water Supply Costs

It is estimated that the Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur city governments are only able to recover 31%, 62% and 18% of the operational and maintenance expenses that they incur while providing water supply services. We are in search of innovations that can help these city governments improve their cost recovery ratio by detecting unauthorized connections, theft, breakdowns or monitoring their water supply outflow in real time.

Sanitation Related Innovations

Decentralized and Improved Sanitation Solutions

Did you know that up to 40% of certain wards of Faridabad, along with 2% and 17% of population in Mysuru and Udaipur respectively do not have access to improved sanitation systems? These are mostly households in low-income settlements or slums that are not connected to the city’s main water and sewer lines. We are in search of innovations that can provide improved sanitation solution designed to safely collect and process fecal waste for these unconnected households or communities.

 Improving Public or Community Toilets

The Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur city governments, like most other cities, open out tenders and contracts for bidders to operate and maintain public toilets in prominent public spaces, and community toilets in low-income localities. We are in search of innovations that can either reduce the cost-effort of operating and maintaining these toilets, as well as significantly improve these toilet-user experiences to eliminate open defecation.

Sustainable Fecal Waste Treatment

It is estimated that around 84%, 33% and 95% of all fecal waste generated in the cities of Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur respectively are not treated in a safe and sustainable manner before disposal. We are in search of innovations that can help these city governments or individual households and communities to sustainably treat their fecal waste before disposal.

Hygiene Innovations

 Other WASH Innovations

Does your innovation create the necessary conditions to promote healthy WASH related behaviour changes like using improved sanitation systems, addressing cultural taboos, promoting menstrual hygiene management, etc., that can help the Faridabad, Mysuru and Udaipur city governments to improve key WASH indicators?

Do you have a business innovation to address any of these problems? Apply now at http://ihuwashaccl.niua.org/ to the IHUWASH Accelerator,  or write to us at chandrakant.komaragiri@ennovent.com for more details.