Team – Final Update

Aditi Pandey, currently heads Partnerships and communication at CDD India. She comes with an extensive experience of about 15 years in domains of environment and social issues. A trained social worker from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai , she has she has been influential in forging strategic partnerships across various stakeholders, including public, private, multilaterals and non-profit organisations. These partnerships have resulted in creating impact on ground. In the last six years her interest in the domain of water and climate change and its interconnectedness with gender and social equality has led her to design some of the most unique programs along with securing partners and resources. These are some of the most path breaking solutions in the space of water and wastewater. She is one of the very few trained Indians who has studied Nature Based Solutions from Oxford and currently all her work and solutions take the approach with support from CDD India, which is a pioneer of Nature Based Solutions and DEWATS in India. She holds two postgraduate degrees from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai specialising in Globalisation and Labour Studies and Mass Communication in Community Media. She believes strongly that inclusiveness is a non-negotiable in the space of water . Women, while being worst hit , also can be highly influential in ensuring the success of any intervention in the thematic. The inherent nature of women being primarily responsible for it at a household level, make it mandatory to ensure participation of women in all interventions to ensure success and sustainability of any intervention. Her belief greatly aligns with the vision of CDD India, and together they are working towards innovating solutions to face the challenges of water and sustainability of water.

Sandhya brings over 22 years of cross-sectoral experience in infrastructure development, with a strong focus on sanitation, urban planning, real estate, and financial services. A Civil Engineer and MBA (Finance), she has advised governments, municipalities, foundations, and multilateral agencies on project planning, implementation, and policy advocacy. As Senior Project Manager at CDD India, she leads large-scale programs in water security and rural waste management, while also contributing to capacity building and training initiatives. Sandhya has played a key role in developing and implementing non-sewered sanitation and FSM projects in Karnataka and beyond. Her expertise spans PPP frameworks, risk assessment, bid process management, and decentralized infrastructure financing. She actively represents CDD in national and international forums promoting nature-based solutions. Her diverse background and deep belief in sustainable systems inform her work in policy, strategy, and on-ground execution.

Andrews Jacob brings over 20 years of expertise in the water sector, specializing in planning and implementing nature-based solutions for wastewater management, faecal sludge management, waterbody rejuvenation, and integrated urban water and natural resource systems. With a strong focus on climate change resilience, he has led diverse projects across India and internationally. His core competencies span project design, business model development, stakeholder engagement, M&E, and capacity building. Andrews holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and multiple postgraduate diplomas in Remote Sensing & GIS and Water & Wastewater Treatment. He is also certified in Urban Infrastructure Planning (CEPT University) and Faecal Sludge Management (AIT Bangkok). Currently, he is driving initiatives in blue-green infrastructure to advance climate-adaptive urban and rural systems.

Krishna Swaroop Konidena is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in urban water management and environmental planning. His expertise spans across water resource management, wastewater treatment, and sustainable urban development. He has successfully led numerous projects focusing on integrated water resource management, water conservation, and capacity building initiatives. With a strong technical background and project management skills, he has contributed significantly to policy formulation and implementation in the water sector.

Rohini Pradeep is an Environmental Engineer with a specialization in the sanitation sector, bringing over 17 years of experience to the field. She holds a Master’s degree in Sanitation Science, Engineering, and Management; a Bachelor's in Environmental Engineering; and a Diploma in Industrial Safety. In addition, she has completed specialized programs in Environmental Planning and Management from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and Faecal Sludge Management from AIT, Bangkok. Rohini has extensive hands-on experience in the design and implementation of decentralized, nature-based sanitation systems, spanning scales from individual households to clusters and city-wide applications. She currently represents South Asia on the SuSanA Global Steering Committee and is a member of the IWA Lakes and Water Reservoir Expert Committee. At CDD India, she leads Used Water Management and Research & Development, while also heading the NABL-accredited in-house laboratory. Her work involves overseeing the design, implementation, and operation & maintenance of numerous DEWATS™, waterbody rejuvenation initiatives, and faecal sludge treatment systems across India. Rohini actively contributes to capacity-building programs in various roles, and is also involved in business development and stakeholder management across projects.