With the final budget now in place, it is essential to examine how the government of India has advanced its agenda and addressed key areas of concern
Published on: 05/08/2024
This article is written by Sanchari Mukhopadhyay and VR Raman and appeared in The AIDEM
Integrated Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programme has been highlighted over decades as a crucial component of country level finance planning across the globe by several international agencies associated with the United Nations (UN), including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). WASH has been part of Indian budgets too for long. It is imperative in the context of Budget 2024-25, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23, to assess financing of the programme not only in terms of current projections but also to identify forthcoming challenges. The importance of this evaluation is greater because the Jal Jeevan Mission, the flagship program on water, ends during the current year. Building on the foundations laid by the interim budget (presented on February 01, 2024) for ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, this article examines the budgetary allocations, evaluating their impact on crucial WASH initiatives like the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, from a sustainability perspective. Highlighting and Suggesting ways forward for various gaps around institutional capacities, access and quality of coverage, the article stresses the need for a strategic and comprehensive approach to ensure equitable and sustainable progress in WASH sector service provision, across India.
Read the full article in The AIDEM
