Evidence Action has formalized a strategic partnership with SPM NIWAS, a national center of excellence, to strengthen chlorination systems and help ensure safe water reaches rural households across the country. The agreement was formalized at the National Level Workshop on Strengthening Chlorination for Safe Water Supply held in Joka, Kolkata on February 20.
More than 150 million rural households across India now have tap water connections — a landmark step forward for rural water access. This partnership focuses on the next frontier: ensuring that the water reaching homes is safe to drink, through strengthened capacity, research-driven insights, and practical policy action.
"Our collective goal remains clear: ensure the Har Ghar Jal (Water in Every Home) milestone delivers not just connections, but safe, reliable water for all," said Ankur Garg, India Country Director and Executive Vice President at Evidence Action. "Together, we are working to make strong, reliable chlorination a routine reality in piped water systems across the country."
Garg outlined the core challenges the partnership will address: building operator capacity, strengthening supply chains for chlorination consumables, closing the gap between monitoring data and corrective action, and earning community trust around chlorinated water. "Community engagement is not a soft add-on to the technical work. It is a part of infrastructure," he said.
Shri Priyatu Mandal (IAS), Joint Secretary and Director of SPM NIWAS, emphasized that the workshop marked the beginning of a broader initiative. "Based on this workshop we plan to design toolkits which we will be sending to the states to help them design their chlorination programs," he said, noting that SPM NIWAS and Evidence Action will also launch a certificate course on chlorination in the coming month.
The workshop brought together government officials from states alongside academicians, development partners, private sector representatives, and civil society organizations.
Professor Pawan Labhasetwar of IIT Madras, who delivered the keynote address, reinforced the urgency of the work: "Safe water is not achieved at the source, but at the last step. Infrastructure without disinfection is false security."
The partnership between Evidence Action and SPM NIWAS will focus on strengthening chlorination practices across India's rural water systems — turning the country's historic achievement in water coverage into assured water quality for every household.
Evidence Action in India is represented through its in-country technical partner, EAII Advisors Private Limited
