WASH Institute
WASH Institute (WASHi) is an ISO 9001-certified non-profit organization established in 2008, headquartered in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. It was founded when leading WASH sector practitioners conducted a study that revealed a critical shortage of skilled, trained human resources needed to tackle India's pressing water and sanitation challenges groundwater depletion, poor sanitation, solid waste mismanagement, rapid urbanization, and climate change.
In response, sector experts and international organizations came together to set up WASH Institute as a knowledge and capacity-building institution. Since then, WASHi has grown into one of India's most recognized technical organizations in the WASH sector, working with governments, communities, and institutions across the country.
WASHi operates nine program areas, working at every level from village communities to national policy:
- Urban Sanitation & Wastewater Management: Helps cities improve public toilet coverage, manage 100% of their wastewater, rejuvenate water bodies, and plan wastewater reuse. Targets include providing 10 million people with usable public toilets and full wastewater management by 2028. Has implemented Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) initiatives across 4 states.
- Sanitation Workers: Works to professionalize sanitation services and improve the safety, dignity, and welfare of sanitation workers, whose life expectancy in India is currently just 48 years. Aims to improve the lives of 1,00,000 sanitation workers by 2028 through formalization, skill training, mechanization, safety protocols, and access to welfare schemes. Has captured data of 16,500+ workers on a national dashboard.
- Water Resource Management & Supply: Addresses water supply planning, groundwater management, and improving access to safe drinking water.
- Rural Wastewater Management: Implements community-level wastewater solutions in villages, covering 40 lakh people across 8,000 villages.
- WASH Policy & Planning: Provides advisory support to government bodies at national and state levels, including 10 years of continuous support to the Swachh Bharat Mission (2015–2025).
- Building Skills of WASH Practitioners: Trains government officials, field workers, and sector professionals in planning, implementing, and monitoring WASH systems. Runs the WASH Academy (established 2010), a premier centre for WASH education and professional certification.
- WASH in Schools: Ensures children have access to safe water and sanitation in school environments; 2,50,000 schoolchildren reached so far.
- Solid Waste Management: Supports cities and communities in managing solid waste; 75 tons recycled daily.
- WASH & Climate Change: Embeds climate resilience into WASH infrastructure and planning to future-proof systems.
WASHi delivers impact through three integrated strategies: Advisory Support (technical assistance to governments and financial institutions), Capacity Building (training officials at all levels), and Community WASH Programs (on-the-ground implementation in underserved areas in partnership with local administrations).
Funders & Partners
Gates Foundation, Charity: Water, Dasra, ITC, HCL Foundation, Azim Premji Foundation, HDFC Financial Services, Viega Foundation, Redington Foundation, DIV Fund, IIHS, WaterAid, Water.Org, UNICEF, Dindigul Municipal Corporation, Madurai Municipal Corporation, and others.
