Licensing of FS emptying and transport service providers (India)

The emptying and transport (E&T) step of the faecal sludge management (FSM) service chain is vital in reducing the risk to public health and the environment. However, this service is mostly provided informally, on demand basis from households that own on-site sanitation systems, by unregulated private operators who often practise unsafe and illegal dumping of faecal sludge into the environment. This research aimed to illustrate the complexity in formalising the E&T services, through licensing, in order to improve FSM services in Kochi, India. Primary data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The research concluded that the institutionally fragmented approach of FSM service chain, coupled with poor enforcement, leads to daily negotiation between key actors in Kochi. This over time evolves into informal arrangements. These informal arrangements are rooted in the system often with more weight than formal arrangements. Therefore, in order to license E&T services, it is important to accommodate the existing operations into the regulations being drafted. There is a need of inclusive and cohesive approach in planning, designing and implementing activities and structures within the FSM service chain. Also, it is important to anchor the existing operations to an appropriate administrative level and adopt a community participatory approach in formulating and enforcing the regulation.