WaterAid India 3d ago

In this video byte from WASHathon 2026, Mr. Srinivas Alavilli, Program Fellow at WRI India, reflects on the critical importance of citizen participation in urban governance. Drawing insights from participatory models across nearly 3,000 slums in Odisha, he emphasizes that the path forward for the country lies in creating decentralized, community-led governance structures. Moving beyond tokenized meetings, true transformation occurs when Slum Development Associations and local committees are genuinely empowered with decision-making power, functions, and a minimum of 25% of municipal funding allocated directly to the communities to resolve their localized challenges. WASHathon 2026: Design for Density is a collaborative framework organized by WaterAid India as part of the Saamuhika Shakti collective, supported by the H&M Foundation. #WASHathon2026 #WaterAidIndia #WRIIndia #UrbanGovernance #ParticipatoryPlanning #CommunityEmpowerment #SocialImpact #DesignForDensity #UrbanSanitation #SaamuhikaShakti #InclusiveCities #PolicyDialogue #Bengaluru