Our Founder and Executive Director Nidhi Ashok Goyal was invited to speak at a roundtable on “Inclusive Solutions for Water-Secure Cities and Communities,” organised by the Australia India Water Security Initiative on 1st July 2025 in Delhi, with 22 persons in attendance. The discussion brought together policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders to explore how Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) can be meaningfully embedded in urban water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
The roundtable was moderated by Bhavna Maheriya, Programme Manager, Mahila Housing Trust and featured speakers Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, Chief Advisor, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director, Centre for Advocacy and Research, Utsav Choudhary, Sr. Project Officer, National Institute of Urban Affairs; and Nidhi Batra, Founder Director, Sehreeti Developmental Practices Foundation, alongside community representatives from various CSOs. Nidhi highlighted the systemic exclusion faced by persons with disabilities in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, supported by powerful data. She emphasised that disability inclusion must be built into infrastructure, policy, and design from the outset, rather than treated as an afterthought. Nidhi concluded by calling for institutionalised inclusive practices such as accessible trainings and social audits, ensuring that persons with disabilities are central to shaping sustainable and equitable WASH solutions. She reminded the room that inclusive design serves everyone, including pregnant women, the elderly, and those with temporary injuries.