INCREASING TRANSPARENCY
Using India’s Right to Information Act to Enforce Rights to Water and Sanitation
India adopted a right to information law in 2001. The citizens group Parivartan in Delhi has been active in supporting residents who use the legislation, to seek improvements in water and sanitation services. One example cited by the group illustrate its effectiveness.
Three days after submitting an application under the Right to Information Act, a leaking water pipe was replaced in part of the city (Pandav Nagar*). The pipe had leaked since it was laid, but previous complaints had been to no avail. The residents asked in their application about the status of their earlier complaints, the names of officials dealing with those complaints, the contract for the laying of the pipeline, the completion certificate for the works, and names of officials who issued it.
*As summarized in González de Asis, 2009
