| Abstrakt: |
COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in maintaining public health, especially in urban areas as inadequate WASH infrastructure can exacerbate public health crises, particularly in densely populated urban areas where the risk of transmission is higher. The study aims to estimate the number of households with access to improved drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices as well as to identify determinants influencing access to these resources. The analysis covers three WASH dimensions including drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene practices to assess improvement and identify areas of concern. This study provides a district-level assessment of WASH determinants and outcomes in Delhi, focusing on the changes observed post-pandemic using NFHS 4 (2015-16) and NFHS 5 (2019-21) data. Further, the study explores continuity of WASH practices post-pandemic and access to facilities across Delhi through FGDs with community members among selected slums in Delhi-NCT. The WASH indicators in Delhi have significantly improved, likely due to the pandemic's focus on hygiene and sanitation. Access to improved drinking water rose from 79.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 98.9 per cent in 2019-21, while sanitation facilities increased modestly from 73.3 per cent to 79.8 per cent. Hygiene practices also saw a boost, with handwashing facilities rising from 81.9 per cent to 95.1 per cent. However, regional disparities persist, with districts like West, East, and North showing regressed sanitation services and gaps in handwashing facilities. The study highlights the need for targeted government interventions to achieve SDG 6 and improve urban WASH infrastructure in the post-pandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
