Citywide Inclusive Sanitation – Wai

The Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) initiative is globally supported by multiple agencies and organisations where cities are expected to move towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for sanitation to ensure safe, inclusive, and financially sustainable sanitation services and serve as global benchmarks. Under an initiative by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), eight cities were selected worldwide to demonstrate the implementation of CWIS principles. Wai is one such city in Maharashtra.

The Center for Water and Sanitation (CWAS) has supported Wai for sanitation planning since 2013. Under the CWIS - Wai project funded by BMGF since 2018, CWAS has continued this support. The aim is to operationalise and sustain ODF+, then move towards ODF++ by creating an enabling environment for FSSM. The project supports studies and interventions for inclusive service delivery across the value chain, particularly concerning low-income communities, mainstreaming gender inclusivity and sanitation worker welfare.