Analysing progress of sustainable development goal 6 in India: Past, present, and future

The attainment of sustainable development in water and sanitation i.e. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) requires a comprehensive monitoring and knowledge base of social and economic water needs at national scale in such a way that should not cause negative environmental manifestations from regional to global scale. India holds a key position among developing economies with a complex interconnected web of fast-growing population, coupled with biophysical stress, social deprivation and economic inequality related to utilization, availability and access to water resources and sanitation facilities. This study addresses some of these challenges related to monitoring and implementation of the targets of the UN SDG 6 in India. Acknowledging the contribution of society and economy in sustainability paradigm, here we have chosen 28 indicators (clustered into 11 dimensions) under two major groups, concerning biophysical and social development aspects of water and sanitation. We have shown declining level of per capita biophysical water resource and slow to rapidly developing societal indicators related to SDG 6 in India. From past trends, we have calculated probable scenario of biophysical consumption of India up to 2050. We have also analysed the interrelationship of water and sanitation (SDG 6) with health (SDG 3) and end to poverty (SDG 1) in India. These show a positive impact of increasing per capita GDP on improving sanitation related indicators, which in turn positively influence to reduce water and sanitation related diseases, especially in children and aged population. This cumulative assessment framework contributes a tool to prioritize water resource appropriation and assessment of sanitation, management response and policy implementations to national level inclusive sustainability of water and sanitation sector, keeping in mind the societal and economic development scenario in India.