Analysis of the Targets and Progress toward Meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal - 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation: Evidence from India

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) success has been a major challenge for governments of every nation over the past few years. In particular, this research focuses on the progress being made toward achieving SDG 6 which aims to make sure that every person has access to clean drinking water and sanitation. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is perhaps the most squeezing challenge in the nation and is being tended to by the public authority on a fundamentally important premise. The core purpose of this paper was to evaluate the progress made to achieve the SDG 6 objectives in India and Indian states and UTs. Using SDG Index reports for 2018, 2019 and 2020, we assess the progress made in terms of SDG 6. The results showed that most states and UTs are in the front runner category and progress is being made. The paper raises various policy issues, including drafting water and sanitation regulations that benefit the poor and marginalized sectors of society, as well as states and areas that lack access. The importance of formal education, especially for rural women, cannot be overstated, which impacts their decisions about the type of bathroom to use and what water treatment alternatives are most applicable to their particular needs. Strong collaboration between non-state organizations and the government as well as involvement of local institutions such as PRIs in introducing reforms in the water and sanitation sectors are the ways to achieve targets under SDG 6.