Indus Valley Times

By Prabhat Kumar Singh

Bhubaneswar, Sept.  16: The Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), in partnership with Water.org and UNICEF, on Saturday organised a workshop on Sustainable WASH Financing in Bhubaneswar.

This workshop aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and success stories while highlighting the remarkable work undertaken by OLM, Water.org,and UNICEF in advancing access to clean drinking water and sanitation through an innovative WASH financing approach.

WASH Financing serves as a solution and opportunity for communities to meet their Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) needs. It empowers communities to access small loans from mainstream financial institutions or community-based organizations like SHGs and their federations. These funds can be utilized to develop crucial WASH infrastructure, including toilets, bathrooms, water filters, storage tanks, and the conversion of single-pit toilets into twin-pit systems for long-term sustainability.

Addressing the participants, William Hanlon Jr., Chief of UNICEF Odisha, emphasized, “Utilising WASH financing serves as an alternative and a supplementary approach to tackle persistent WASH challenges in the community.” He further added, “This is the right time to expand the reach of this approach, thus empowering more communities to achieve an improved quality of life.”

About 6000 members across the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in six intensive districts have been trained on alternative financing. About 13,000 loans worth Rs 14 crore have been sanctioned exceeding the annual target of 12,084. Thus, it underlines the community’s need to secure a long-term WASH solution.

Dr N.Thirumala Naik,SMD-cum-CEO Odisha livelihoods missionemphasizedthat communities and institutions must actively raise awareness for sustainable WASH practices. With almost 7 million households benefitting from the Odisha Livelihood Mission under the Mission Shakti Department, this initiative might help the state achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

Addressing in the workshop Manoj Gulati. Regional Director, South Asia, Water.org mentioned “This workshop is a testament to our commitment to extending access to clean water and sanitation to more communities in Odisha through WASH financing project. It reflects the significant progress achieved in our mission and underscores our dedication to sustainability.”