MDWS India

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India (formerly under the Ministry of Rural Development as Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), is presently headed by the Cabinet Minister, Drinking Water & Sanitation, and is the nodal department for the overall policy, planning, funding and coordination of programmes of drinking water and sanitation in the country.​

Objectives

• Ensure all households have access to and use of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
• Ensure communities monitor and keep surveillance on their drinking water sources;
• Ensure all government schools and anganwadis have functional toilets, urinals and access to safe drinking water;
• Provide an enabling enviorment and support to Panchayat Raj Institutions and local communities to manage their own drinking water sources and sanitation in their villeges;
• Provide access to information through online reporting mechanism with information placed in public domain to bring in transparency and informed decision making;
  • Planing, implementation and monitoring of centrally sponsored programmes and schemes for safe drinking water and sanitation in rurarl areas;
  • Support R&D initiatives, IEC and HRD activities for all stakeholders in drinking water and sanitation sector;
  • Building partnerships and synergizing efforts with other sector partners, organizations UN and bilateral agencies, NGO’s, R&D institutions and civil society;
  • Assist state in resource mobilizatioin from multilateral and bilateral agencies through govt. of India;
  • Techical support to states through seminars, interactions, documentation of best practices and innovations;
  • Provide inputs to other Departments/Ministry for formulation for policies impacting water and sanitation issues;
  • Recognizing and awarding Panchayats and organizatoins for excellent work in rural sanitation.