Sanitation is a crucial, but often overlooked, feature of health programs. The Aga Khan Foundation has been concentrating on better sanitation and hygiene practices as a means for improved health.

An important aspect of this project in the target districts of Patan and Junagadh in Gujarat would be to see that it did not replicate the government's own sanitation projects. The Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, the Foundation's field implementation agency, will work on establishing infrastructure for drinking water supply and domestic use and will dovetail this project to fit in wit h the Total Sanitation Campaign of the government. Similarly, the agency will work in tandem wit h the Government to promote the Nirmal Gram concept in which the village and its environs are free of open defecation and systems to dispose of solid and liquid wastes are devised. Particular emphasis has been laid on building sanitation facilities for women who, so far, have lacked any privacy.

Since the Foundation has been involved in rural sanitation issues for quite a while, a survey was carried out to judge the efficacy of an earlier pilot program in 14 villages in Patan and Junagadh. The results were encouraging. Indicators used to judge the success of past programs ranged from percentage of families using covered water containers to families adopting regular hand washing practices to families using clean vessels. It was found that there was an average increase of 40 per cent in families adopting better hygiene practices. 

As always, the participation of the people is key to the success of the project. With this in mind, community-based organizations will be trained to manage and campaign for sustained water supply and sanitation infrastructure. In this way the groundwork laid by the Aga Khan Foundation and its field agency will be taken forward.

A grant of Rs 4.44 million was sanctioned in 2006-2007, for three years.