Fostering Innovation in WASH Technologies and Service Delivery Models in Hyderabad’s Informal Settlements
Bridging the Urban Service Divide: Pathways to Transformative Change in Hyderabad
India’s rapid urbanization has presented Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana state, with immense challenges in providing universal access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Like many other growing cities in the global South, Hyderabad’s informal settlements, home to over 1 million residents, remain largely disconnected from the city’s formal water and sanitation infrastructure. Residents must rely on informal and often unsafe alternatives, paying exorbitant prices and facing dire health risks.
However, innovative approaches are emerging that hold promise for bridging this urban service divide. Hyderabad’s local government, along with civil society organizations and community groups, are pioneering new WASH technologies and service delivery models that prioritize the needs of the urban poor. By rethinking infrastructure design, strengthening partnerships, and empowering marginalized communities, these efforts are demonstrating how cities can achieve more equitable and sustainable WASH outcomes.
This article explores three transformative pathways unfolding in Hyderabad that offer valuable lessons for other rapidly growing cities grappling with gaps in WASH services:
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Decentralized, community-led WASH solutions: Innovative decentralized systems, such as community-managed water kiosks and fecal sludge treatment plants, are expanding access while building local ownership and resilience.
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Integrated planning for inclusive WASH service delivery: Hyderabad is integrating WASH infrastructure planning with broader urban development efforts, targeting investment to informal settlements and strengthening coordination across agencies.
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Data-driven advocacy and accountability: Communities and civil society organizations are using data to drive policy change, ensure equitable budget allocations, and hold authorities accountable for improving WASH services.
By embracing these transformations, Hyderabad is charting a path towards more inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient WASH services – one that could serve as a model for cities across India and the global South.
Decentralized, Community-Led WASH Solutions
Hyderabad’s informal settlements are home to a diverse array of self-organized community groups and small-scale service providers that have stepped in to fill gaps in municipal WASH services. These alternative service providers, while often informal and unregulated, play a crucial role in improving access to water and sanitation for the urban poor.
One innovative example is the community-managed water kiosk model pioneered by Hyderabad’s Rishi Valley Rural Development Trust (RVRDT). RVRDT has established over 200 decentralized water kiosks across the city’s informal settlements, providing affordable, safe, and reliable drinking water to nearly 200,000 residents.
“The community water kiosks have been a game-changer for us,” explains Farhana, a resident of the Bholakpur slum. “Before, we had to walk long distances to fetch water from public taps that often ran dry. Now, we can access clean water right in our community at a fraction of the cost.”
The kiosks are owned and operated by local women’s self-help groups, who are trained in water quality monitoring, maintenance, and financial management. Revenue generated from nominal user fees covers operational costs and ensures the financial sustainability of the system. Critically, the kiosks are connected to the municipal piped water network, ensuring a reliable supply, while the community management model fosters a sense of local ownership and stewardship.
In the sanitation domain, Hyderabad has seen the emergence of decentralized fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) managed by community-based organizations (CBOs). These small-scale treatment facilities, often constructed on vacant land within informal settlements, provide an affordable and environmentally sound alternative to the city’s overburdened centralized sewerage system.
The Bapu Trust, a local NGO, has spearheaded the development of several community-owned and operated FSTPs in Hyderabad. “Our approach is to engage residents as active partners, not just beneficiaries,” explains Bapu Trust’s founder, Vinod Kumar. “The community selects the site, contributes labor, and manages the daily operations of the FSTP. This ensures the facility meets their needs and builds a sense of ownership.”
The Bapu Trust has also trained local youth as “sanitation entrepreneurs” to operate these decentralized treatment plants and provide affordable fecal sludge emptying services to households. This has created much-needed green jobs while improving sanitation outcomes.
Importantly, these decentralized WASH solutions are not isolated initiatives but are being integrated into Hyderabad’s formal service delivery frameworks. The state government’s Telangana Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage Board (TDWSSB) has partnered with community groups to leverage their local knowledge and networks, providing technical and financial support to scale up these decentralized models.
“By working with communities as equal partners, we can reach the last mile and ensure no one is left behind in accessing WASH services,” says TDWSSB’s chief engineer, Rajesh Prasad. “The decentralized approach also makes the system more resilient to climate shocks and responsive to the unique needs of each neighborhood.”
Integrated Planning for Inclusive WASH Service Delivery
Hyderabad’s local government is also recognizing the need for a more holistic, integrated approach to WASH planning and investment. Rather than treating water, sanitation, and drainage as siloed infrastructure domains, the city is aligning these services with broader urban development efforts to address the multidimensional nature of the urban service divide.
A key initiative is the Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Development (ISUD) program, which seeks to enhance access to WASH services in Hyderabad’s low-income neighborhoods through coordinated planning and investment. The program maps informal settlements, assesses their specific WASH needs, and then channels government funds and technical support to improve service delivery.
“In the past, WASH projects were often implemented in isolation, without considering the broader context of each community’s challenges and priorities,” explains Priya Pandit, the ISUD program manager. “Now, we’re taking a more integrated, participatory approach to ensure the investments truly benefit the most marginalized groups.”
For instance, the ISUD program is integrating water and sanitation infrastructure planning with initiatives to improve housing, roads, and solid waste management in informal settlements. This holistic approach not only enhances WASH outcomes but also addresses the interconnected drivers of urban poverty and inequality.
Critically, the ISUD program has strengthened coordination between Hyderabad’s numerous WASH sector agencies, including the TDWSSB, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). By aligning their mandates and investment plans, these agencies are able to deliver more coherent and impactful WASH services.
“In the past, the lack of coordination between agencies often resulted in fragmented, inefficient, and inequitable WASH infrastructure,” says Pandit. “Now, we’re breaking down these silos and fostering a shared vision for inclusive and sustainable development across Hyderabad.”
The ISUD program also features robust community engagement mechanisms, ensuring that the voices and priorities of informal settlement residents shape the planning and implementation of WASH interventions. This co-creation process has built trust, fostered local ownership, and enhanced the long-term sustainability of the initiatives.
Data-Driven Advocacy and Accountability
Alongside these efforts to improve WASH service delivery, Hyderabad’s civil society organizations and community groups are leveraging data to drive policy change and hold authorities accountable.
The urban research and advocacy group, Centre for Action Research and People’s Development (CARPED), has conducted detailed mapping and assessments of WASH access and quality in Hyderabad’s informal settlements. By combining household surveys, water quality testing, and spatial analysis, CARPED has generated granular, community-level data that reveal the stark inequities in service provision.
“The data paints a clear picture of the urban service divide,” says Ajay Mishra, CARPED’s lead researcher. “Residents of informal settlements often pay up to 10 times more for water and face much higher risks of waterborne diseases due to unsafe sanitation. This evidence is crucial for advocating change.”
CARPED has used these insights to engage with Hyderabad’s local government, pushing for targeted investments, policy reforms, and stronger accountability mechanisms. For instance, the data has informed the ISUD program’s prioritization of informal settlements for WASH infrastructure upgrades.
Community groups have also leveraged data to hold service providers and elected officials accountable. In the Bholakpur slum, the local residents’ welfare association regularly monitors water quality and service reliability, confronting the TDWSSB with evidence of poor performance. This has prompted the utility to improve maintenance and increase the water supply to the community.
“Data empowers us to speak up and demand our rights,” says Farhana, the Bholakpur resident. “When we can show the authorities the reality on the ground, they have to listen and take action.”
Beyond holding authorities accountable, community-driven data collection has also strengthened local ownership and resilience. The process of mapping WASH infrastructure and monitoring service quality has cultivated a deeper understanding and sense of stewardship among residents.
“When the community owns the data, they are more invested in maintaining and protecting the WASH assets,” explains Vinod Kumar of the Bapu Trust. “This is crucial for the long-term sustainability of these services, especially in the face of climate change impacts.”
Conclusion: Towards a More Equitable and Resilient Hyderabad
Hyderabad’s journey to bridge the urban service divide through innovative WASH solutions, integrated planning, and data-driven advocacy offers valuable lessons for other cities in India and the global South grappling with similar challenges.
By empowering marginalized communities, forging collaborative partnerships, and aligning investments with the needs of the urban poor, Hyderabad is demonstrating how cities can achieve more equitable and sustainable WASH outcomes. These transformative pathways are not only improving access to essential services but also building resilience against the impacts of climate change and other shocks.
As Hyderabad continues to scale up and institutionalize these approaches, it holds the potential to serve as a model for other fast-growing cities seeking to tackle deep-rooted urban inequities. The key is to place the lived experiences of the under-served at the center of WASH planning and implementation, leveraging community knowledge and leadership to co-create inclusive and climate-resilient solutions.
“The urban service divide is not just a technical problem; it’s a deep-seated issue of social and environmental injustice,” says Ajay Mishra of CARPED. “By working hand-in-hand with marginalized communities, we can transform Hyderabad into a more livable, sustainable, and equitable city for all.”
