Beyond Infrastructure: Strengthening WaSH in Government Schools

Access to safe drinking water, functional sanitation and proper hygiene facilities plays an important role in creating a healthy and supportive school environment. However, many Government schools continue to face challenges related to deteriorated toilet facilities, inadequate handwashing infrastructure, unreliable access to clean drinking water and limited hygiene awareness. These challenges can increase health risks and affect students' attendance, participation and overall learning environment.

The “WaSH for Wellness: Improving Health through Safe Water, Hygiene, and Awareness in 5 Schools of Delhi and Gurgaon” project supported by Narayana Hrudayalaya Limited was designed to address these gaps across five Government schools located near Narayana healthcare facilities in Delhi and Gurgaon. The project covered approximately 5,294 students, including young children and adolescent girls, and focused on creating safe, functional and dignified school environments.

The blog will explore how the project adopted an integrated approach that combined physical infrastructure improvements with hygiene promotion and behaviour-support measures. Key interventions included the refurbishment and upgrading of toilet blocks, repairs to roofing, flooring, plumbing and other structural elements, installation or refurbishment of child-friendly multi-tap handwashing stations, and provision of safe drinking water through RO-based purification systems integrated with water coolers.

The article will also examine the importance of creating sanitation spaces that are safe, hygienic, gender-segregated and accessible. Improvements in ventilation, lighting, privacy, cleanliness and usability were incorporated to create a more conducive environment for students, with particular attention to the needs of adolescent girls.

Rather than viewing WaSH as limited to the construction or repair of facilities, the blog will present the project as a broader effort to improve the school WaSH ecosystem. The intervention also included visual hygiene messaging, student engagement and measures intended to encourage sustained hygiene practices.

The project is aligned with SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4 on Quality Education, SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation. Through this lens, the blog will demonstrate how strengthening WaSH facilities in schools can contribute to healthier, safer and more inclusive learning environments.