New Delhi: When we talk about sanitation, the conversation often starts with toilets. But the work behind a truly clean and healthy community goes much further. That was clear from the ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards 2020, which recognised work across nine categories. The fourth edition saw 65 nominations and added three new areas of recognition: faecal sludge and septage management, skilling for sanitation, and work for the upliftment of sanitation workers. For NDTV-Dettol Banega Swachh India, which has consistently used awareness and storytelling to push the sanitation conversation forward, these awards offer a chance to look back at some of the work that stood out.
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Making School Sanitation Work Better
HDFC Bank won the large corporate category for its Parivartan School WASH Initiative in Meghalaya. The programme covered more than 132 schools across five districts. It included separate toilets for boys and girls, along with WASH training for students, teachers and School Management Committees. The initiative reached 7,600 people directly and around 25,000 indirectly. DCM Shriram was also recognised in the large corporate category for Shriram Swachhagrah. It constructed or renovated more than 358 school toilet blocks and organised over 700 behaviour change workshops. Its work also included 361 household toilets in Bharuch, benefiting more than 2,000 families.
Taking Sanitation Into Villages
The Aga Khan Foundation India won the Best Non-Profit Engagement Model in Sanitation for its AKDN Comprehensive Sanitation Initiative. Its direct intervention covered 2,500 villages across 22 districts. The programme worked on household and school sanitation, hygiene awareness, waste management and local capacity building. It reached more than 158,000 households through direct intervention and over 725,000 through technical support. Environ received a Special Mention for its rural solid waste management work in Assam. Its model turned biodegradable waste into products such as organic manure and bio-pest repellents, while also encouraging plastic collection and reuse.
Using Stories To Change Behaviour
The Population Foundation of India won Best Communication in Sanitation for Mai Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon. The television series used entertainment and education to discuss sanitation, hygiene and gender issues. Its third season reached more than 200 million viewers. The report said around 45% of viewers took or planned to take action around sanitation and hygiene after watching the show. This was especially relevant to the larger role of campaigns like NDTV-Dettol Banega Swachh India, where communication is an important part of getting people to think about sanitation in everyday life.
Helping Women Access Sanitation Finance
Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) won the Best Financial Accessibility Model in Sanitation. The Maharashtra-based programme helped rural communities access credit for safe sanitation and drinking water. Around 62,000 loans were given to women through self-help group federations, with ₹78.5 crore disbursed. The programme directly benefited nearly three lakh women.
Turning Sanitation Into A Livelihood Opportunity
The social enterprise category had two notable names. Agrata City Level Federation brought more than 7,000 women from self-help groups into sanitation services in Berhampur. Their work included community toilet maintenance, waste collection, plastic management and septage treatment. The initiative helped the city achieve 74% waste segregation. PadCare Labs was recognised for its Saneco sanitary napkin disposal and recycling system. The initiative focused on safer disposal of sanitary waste while protecting the privacy of users and the dignity of waste pickers.
Tackling What Happens After The Toilet Is Used
The new Best Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Model category brought attention to a part of sanitation that often gets less attention. Berhampur Municipal Corporation won the category for its FSSM work. The city had achieved ODF status in 2018 and moved to ODF++ in 2019 after putting a stronger system in place for the collection, treatment and safe disposal of faecal waste. Its programme also created opportunities for women self-help groups to participate in the sanitation value chain. Banka BioLoo received a Special Mention for its PLUTO FSTP model. Its two treatment plants had treated 1.4 MLD of sludge over 15 months, with treated water and solid waste being reused.
Building Skills And Safer Livelihoods
The new skilling category recognised Jan Sahas Social Development Society. Its work focused on the rehabilitation of manual scavengers, safer working conditions and livelihood opportunities. The programme had supported 128,000 sanitation workers, while 46,268 manual scavengers had been liberated from the practice. It also helped 1,885 workers move towards alternative livelihoods.
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Bringing Technology Into Sanitation Work
Cherries Engineering and Innovation India Private Limited, through JALODBUST, received the award for Excellence on Work for Upliftment of Sanitation Workers. The technology was designed to remove dense sludge from narrow spaces where conventional vacuum trucks and pumps may not work. The aim was to reduce the need for manual scavenging and lower health risks for sanitation workers.
Assam Showed The Role Of Government And Young People
The Government of Assam, represented by Dr Siddharth Singh, received the Special Recognition Award for Government. Its ODF verification programme brought students and young people into the sanitation effort through more than 400 College Health & Sanitation Clubs. The programme involved community meetings, cleanliness drives, health camps and work around toilet usage and waste management. Assam was declared ODF in March 2019, with an estimated 1.4 crore people benefiting from the wider intervention. Looking back at the 2020 winners, what stands out is the variety of approaches. Some worked through schools. Others worked with women, communities, banks, technology or government systems. Some focused on toilets, while others tackled waste, faecal sludge or the safety of the people doing sanitation work.
