Pratha is proposing a novel strategy in urban community sustainable sanitation that provides incentives to multiple stakeholders to work together to deliver reliable community sanitation in a flexible manner. Implementing a participatory, demand-based program in a complex urban setting is not without its challenges. In implementing and fine-tuning a model of CSR enabled and community managed center for water and sanitation we intend that communities are motivated to self-provide and adopt a community sanitation solution and not merely public sanitation.

The Suvidha Centre is a demand driven and community managed facility self provisioning of basic services by the community in an entrepreneurial model that has the potential to not only improve urban sanitation of its patrons, who are also the chief beneficiaries but also maintain the hallmarks of a private enterprise; quality and efficiency.

The center, aptly named 'Suvidha' meaning facility is a two-storied structure providing urinals, Indian style WC with separate entrances for men and women, shower and changing rooms, hand and feet washing spaces, laundry room, filtered safe drinking water, a play area for children and even separate toilet facilities for children, a segment usually ignored by public sanitation providers. The structure is also fitted with technology that allows optimum use of water through 'a circular economy approach to water' re-cycling water utilized in showers, hand-washing and laundry to flushing in toilets. Additionally, rain-water is harvested for use.

Families that become members of the center are issued monthly passes. Each pass costs Rs. 150. Charges for use of facilities such as drinking water, showers and laundry for members are as follows: Rs 1 per litre for water and Rs 2 per litre for cold water, Rs 10 for shower, Rs. 30/35 for laundry. The use of cleaning products is included. For non-members the rates are only slightly higher. Pay-and-use accessibility is also made available.

Pratha has implemented the programme with emphasis on two components. First, it demonstrated to the community and efficiently run community toilet block having professional standards of quality and hygiene. Pratha showed how the Suvidha centre can become commercially viable and sustainable. Meanwhile, the community was mobilized and consolidated and their business and management skills evolved for them to take over the management of their toilet block. The community's successful management of the infrastructure and continued commercial viability has demonstrated to other WASH actors, especially the state the feasibility of such a model and encourage its replication with other communities.