Water supply and sanitation in India

Water supply and sanitation in India
Data
Access to an at least basic water source98.7% (2018)
Access to at least basic sanitation98.7% (2018)
  • Safely Managed Sanitation: 97%
  • Basic Sanitation: 99%
  • Limited Sanitation: 7%
  • No access to sanitation (Open Defecation): 1%
Share of collected wastewater treated27% (2003)
Average urban water use (L/person/day)126 (2006)
Share of household metering55% in urban areas (1999)
Annual investment in WSSUS$5 / capita
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalitiesPartial
National water and sanitation companyNo
Water and sanitation regulatorNo
Responsibility for policy settingState Governments; Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation at the Federal Level
Sector lawNo
No. of urban service providers3,255 (1991)
No. of rural service providersabout 100,000

In 2018, 98.7% of Indians had access to the basic water and sanitation facilities. India faces challenges ranging from sourcing water for its megacities to its distribution network which is intermittent in rural areas with continuous distribution networks just beginning to emerge. Non-revenue water is a challenge.

The share of Indians with access to improved sources of water increased significantly from 72% in 1990 to 88% in 2008 and currently stands at 98.7% in 2018. In 1980, rural sanitation coverage was estimated at 1%. By 2018, it reached over 98%.:78 However, many people still lack access to water and sewage infrastructure.