Squatting with Dignity : Lessons from India

This is the story of the successes and challenges faced in building the fast expanding rural sanitation network in India. It presents a detailed account of the development of the rural sanitation movement in India in the last decade. The book presents a historical account of the importance attached to sanitation and hygiene in ancient India and the evolution of sanitation policy in modern India. This book captures in detail the key debates and challenges faced in making policy makers and program managers across the states accept the reform principles in the Total Sanitation Campaign. The book outlines a vision for the future of the sanitation program in India and offers innovative ideas for launching a second generation of sanitation initiatives.

Kumar Alok is an IAS officer who worked as Director, Rural Sanitation in the Department of Drinking Water Supply, Government of India (2001-2006) and also as Water and Environmental Sanitation Specialist (2006-2008) in UNICEF's New Delhi office. Presently he is the Chief Executive Officer of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), an autonomous institution created for overall welfare of tribal population in Tripura.