Sanitation Law and Policy in India: An Introduction to Basic Instruments

For the longest time, sanitation received little attention from policymakers and lawyers, although it was not completely outside the purview of laws and policies in India. However, the past couple of decades have witnessed a significant change in the manner in which sanitation is viewed, both at the national and international levels. While this change is accompanied by a growing interest among academics and practitioners in the policy perspectives on sanitation, the emphasis on its legal dimensions has lagged behind considerably. The piecemeal nature of the existing legal instruments having a bearing on sanitation and the lack of awareness about these instruments has further contributed to this knowledge deficit. This book attempts to fill this gap by piecing together the provisions of the existing legal instruments that seek to address the different dimensions of sanitation in India. In the process, it highlights, to researchers, policy-makers, lawyers and other people interested in sanitation, the importance, complexity and fragmented nature of the legal and policy frameworks that inform the sector.