Resources

Brief Job Description: The Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) operation and maintenance technician is responsible for carrying out day-to-day operations of the FSTP. He /She is also responsible for routine maintenance of pumps, engines, motors, filters, bar screens, valves, pipes, and any other equipment used in FSTP. Personal Attributes: The Individual is expected to be physically fit and should be able to work across various location/site conditions. He/ She should be self-motivated and able to produce good quality work. He/ She must have good communication skill, team spirit, be courteous and polite. He should be efficient in working with proper planning skills.

This training module is a step to step guideline for operation and maintenance technicians of faecal sludge treatment plant. Module will help to understand the importance of operations and maintenance for faecal sludge treatment plants.

‘Pragati Didi’s Tips – Training Module on Financial Literacy for Urban Poor’ aims to provide a detailed understanding of managing finances and financial entitlements to the urban poor communities with a special focus on sanitation workers. This module is available in English and Hindi languages and will support DAY-NULM functionaries to impart financial literacy trainings to their community groups. The financial literacy activities under DAY-NULM are expected to catalyse mainstreaming the SHGs and individuals who are from most vulnerable sections of the population into the livelihood ecosystem.

‘Pragati Didi’s Tips – Training Module on Financial Literacy for Urban Poor’ aims to provide a detailed understanding of managing finances and financial entitlements to the urban poor communities with a special focus on sanitation workers. This module is available in English and Hindi languages and will support DAY-NULM functionaries to impart financial literacy trainings to their community groups. The financial literacy activities under DAY-NULM are expected to catalyse mainstreaming the SHGs and individuals who are from most vulnerable sections of the population into the livelihood ecosystem.

This training material has been prepared by Urban Management Centre (UMC) in consultation with State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), Govt.of Odisha for providing training to members of Self Help Groups / Area Level Federations /City Level Federations for Operation & Maintenance of Material Recovery Facility. This training material has been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of the SHG’s and DAY-NULM functionaries. If any part of the report is reproduced or replicated, UMC and SUDA, Odisha shall be acknowledged.

This training material has been prepared by Urban Management Centre (UMC) in consultation with State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), Govt.of Odisha for providing training to members of Self Help Groups / Area Level Federations / City Level Federations for Operation & Maintenance of Micro Composting Centre. This training material has been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of the SHG’s and DAY-NULM functionaries. If any part of the report is reproduced or replicated, UMC and SUDA, Odisha shall be acknowledged.

According to Census of India 2011, India’s urban population is 377 million which is 31% of the total population. The current population is expected to increase to 600 million by 2031. The Census 2011 indicates that the toilets connected with on-site sanitation system (60%) are higher than the toilets connected with sewer network (40%). Weak sanitation has significant health costs and untreated faecal sludge and septage from cities is the single biggest source of water resource pollution in India. Human waste has clearly been identified as the leading polluter of water sources in India, causing a host of diseases including diarrhea, agricultural-produce contamination, and environmental degradation.

Brief Job Description: The Desludging Operator, also known as Sludge Emptier is an individual, who is responsible for emptying, transport and disposal of faecal sludge from the septic tank to desludging site / Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant. He /She has to operate pumps, suction hoses and other machinery/equipment to empty the septic tank and appropriately dispose the sludge. Desludging Operator would further specializes as an entrepreneur, he/she would be trained to venture into desludging services for managing Faecal Sludge. Personal Attributes: The Individual is expected to be physically fit and should be able to work across various location/site conditions. He/ She should be self-motivated and able to produce good quality work. He/ She must have good communication skill, team spirit, be courteous and polite. He should be efficient in working with proper planning skills.

This register is to be maintained to keep a recordd of the daily attendance of the caretakers and sanitation workers.

The Ready Reckoner for Climate-Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facility is based on the guidance framework developed by World Health Organization (WHO)- Climate-Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facility, 2020. This Ready Reckoner represents work and contributions from several experts within and outside the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO South East Asia Region Office (SEARO) appreciates the contribution by WHO country offices from the region, for sharing insights, learnings, and information specific to developing this Ready Reckoner. Through this Ready Reckoner we believe to make health care facilities Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable. WHO extends its gratitude to Urban Management Centre for its technical and design support in developing this Ready Reckoner.

This document helps in realizing the synergies between the two missions and be instrumental in empowering Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by providing them employment opportunities in the growing sanitation and waste management sector.

In its resolution, the Government of Gujarat has resolved to issue the following guidelines for ‘Open Defecation Free Towns’ under the Mahatma Gandhi Swachhata Mission. The Government of Gujarat (GoG) aims at making cities and villages from the state free of open defecation (OD). The strategies for achieving OD free settlements include but are not limited to: 1. Ensuring adequacy of toilets –individual and public toilets and Effective operations and maintenance of public toilets 2. Ensure regulatory frameworks and public health bye-laws 3. To effect behaviour change regarding health and hygiene and generate awareness and build capacity of respective departments. 4. Creation of an enabling environment to encourage participation of private sector

Build capacities of functionaries of states and urban local bodies towards supporting safe sanitation-based livelihoods Target Group For This Module: Government Functionaries • State, city officials in charge of implementing SBM, AMRUT, NULM schemes, such as State Mission Manager (SMM) • City Mission Manager (CMM ) of NULM, SBM and AMRUT etc Field Functionaries • Community organizers • Staff of resource organizations • Community resource persons

Urban Management Centre is a women led non-profit organization dedicated to building resilient systems for inclusive and equitable development. We work with governments to strengthen local governance and build lasting institutional structures. We also work directly with vulnerable people to ensure that they have the tools and support they need. Over the last 25 years, UMC and its teams have developed fundamental innovations in urban and rural development challenges such as performance assessment, capacity building, and decentralized institutional strengthening.

This manual has been prepared for - Primary Audience: Members of Self Help Groups/Area Level Federations/City Level Federations Secondary Audience: DAY-NULM functionaries, other Government and Non-Government personnel interested in understanding the functioning of operations and maintenance of a community toilet or public toilet

Sanitation work stands out as one of the most perilous professions, fraught with hazards such as toxic gases and exposure to faecal sludge. Many workers are engaged informally, intensifying the vulnerability of workers, leaving them without access to social, financial, and occupational safety nets. In India, sanitation work is deeply entrenched in caste dynamics, placing workers among the most marginalized within the urban poor. They remain invisible to the system, lacking identity and recognition for their labour, and are often ostracized. They grapple with serious occupational and environmental health risks that jeoparWhile the COVID-19 pandemic briefly brought these workers to the forefront, likening them to medical professionals and police – a stark disparity persists. Is their participation in sanitation work a choice for them? Are they adequately compensated for their labor and contribution to society? India has been striving to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)6 — ensuring clean water and sanitation for all. However, this pursuit often comes at the expense of SDG3 — health and SDG8 — decent work and livelihood, particularly for the workers themselves. At Urban Management Centre, we have been working passionately in the urban sanitation space and with the people engaged to clean sewer lines, desludge our septic tanks, clean open drains that are also overflowing with water from the toilets, clean community and public toilets and manage STPs and FSTPs and our work has unveiled the intricate layers of this profound problem. It’s a convergence of issues related to sanitation infrastructure, enforcement, contract management, and deeply rooted caste-based prejudices. Our efforts began by enabling convergence between the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM). We’ve supported the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) among sanitation workers, facilitating direct procurement by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and the establishment of their enterprises. The SHG platform offers the dual advantage of simplified procurement for ULBs and an avenue to integrate social and financial entitlements. We have furthered this work through institutional support to several governments in implementing a comprehensive program to achieve occupational safety for all sanitation workers, alongside institutionalised social security for anyone performing hazardous sanitation work.

Since the inception of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in 2014, there has been focused attention and investment in sanitation and waste-management. In the last ten years, over 60 lakh (6 million) household toilets and more than 6 lakh community toilets have been built across urban India1 , accompanied by vital infrastructure like treatment plants and recycling facilities. The key challenge is to ensure consistent delivery of quality services, maintain facilities, and foster behavioral change within local communities — with sanitation workers playing a pivotal role on the front lines. Despite focused efforts, sanitation service delivery in India remains dominated by informal, frontline workers, most of whom belong to marginalized castes and underrepresented genders. A majority of these frontline sanitation workers are women working as waste pickers, cleaners, and waste collectors. Lack of collectivization among sanitation workers limits their access to skilled employment and improved working conditions. Organizing sanitation workers—particularly women and other vulnerable groups—into SelfHelp Groups (SHGs) and building their capacities represents a bold and promising step toward advancing sustainable sanitation. This approach not only enhances livelihoods and empowers women but also creates a pool of skilled operators to maintain sanitation facilities and services. The ‘SBM and DAY-NULM Convergence Guidelines’ lay out actionable policy measures aimed at formalizing urban sanitation delivery. Many states such as Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, among others, have adopted this convergence policy. The Urban Management Center (UMC) has played a crucial role in shaping national-level convergence efforts and ensuring their effective adoption and implementation at the state level. This resource guide emerges from UMC’s extensive work with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and with state governments in Odisha and Telangana on policy-making, capacity building, and grassroots engagement with Self-Help Groups (SHGs). It offers a clear roadmap supported by resources and best practices to aid state governments, urban local bodies, and sanitation leaders across India in initiating and operationalizing convergence guidelines. We acknowledge the invaluable contributions of all team members involved in this transformative initiative. UMC has embedded teams at all four levels of government—national, state, local, and community—which enables policy development, innovation, and on-the-ground implementation. We extend our sincere gratitude to the former Principal Secretary of Odisha, Mr. G. Mathivathanan, IAS, whose vision and support facilitated the implementation of convergence across Odisha. We also recognize the pivotal role played by Joint Secretaries of DAY-NULM, MoHUA - Mr. Sanjay Kumar, IAS and Mr. Rahul Kapoor, whose involvement was instrumental in driving the convergence innovation between the missions. Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the City Collab team and Ms. Vani Herlekar for spearheading the development of this resource guide and ensuring its successful publication.

About this SOP Sanitation work in India is a profession that faces significant challenges, often linked to caste-based inequalities and a lack of adequate support and recognition. Despite contributing significantly to public health, safety, and environmental sustainability, sanitation workers endure widespread social stigma, low wages, and poor living conditions. In rural areas, where most households rely on onsite sanitation systems, tasks like regular pit or septic tank emptying are essential. Workers, predominantly from marginalized communities, perform these hazardous and physically demanding duties, often enduring social stigma and exploitation. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers in Rural India is designed to address these issues. It provides a clear guideline for strengthening safety measures, enhancing training Programmes, improving infrastructure, and fostering social and economic empowerment. By clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of government officials at various levels, the SOP aims to strengthen the enforcement mechanism. Recognizing that workplace safety and socio-economic security are interdependent, the SOP addresses both aspects to create a sustainable and dignified working environment for sanitation workers.