The study, commissioned in 2008 by WaterAid India, carries an independent qualitative assessment of Government of India’s Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) launched in 1999. The primary qualitative data generated during field visits to 40 GPs in 20 blocks across 10 districts of 5 states (2 each from a state) in India. Study states included Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, and Tripura.

This report is the outcome of a study to unpack what constitutes the core of TSC programme design and inherent policy implications on one hand and to undertaken the principles of what has worked and what has not worked in TSC which is the national programme on reforms in rural sanitation launched by the Government of India in 1999. The focus of this study is to draw learning lessons from the implementation experience so far, for improved effectiveness in the future. It also reveals that there are significant policy variations across states. For instance, of the 5 sample states studied, while Karnataka, and Tripura follow TSC Guidelines to offer suggested incentive only to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, Bihar and Chhattisgarh have made additional provision for subsidy to Above Poverty Line (APL) households as well from their own resources. Haryana has consciously down played subsidy/incentive as they perceive it to be subversive of community processes in general and the spirit of collective local action in particular.

The study findings and recommendations carry useful insights about emerging issues and challenges in the implementation of rural sanitation programmes in India, which could be of interest and relevance in other similar country contexts as well.

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