| Services covering the Urban poor BWSSB's Experiments and Future Plans |
Bangalore is India's fifth largest city with a population of about 60 million. BWSSB
is responsible for providing water supply and wastewater disposal services within
the Bangalore Metropolitan area. It is the moral, social and economic obligation of
BWSSB to provide drinking water to every citizen in the metropolitan area of Bangalore. |
Bangalore has about 400 officially notified slums. These slums co-exist with
well-developed areas, as is the case in other big cities. Most of these areas have
large deficiencies in water supply, environmental and sanitation infrastructure services.
In addition to recognised slums, a large number of poor households live in
mixed settlements and in un-recognised low-income settlements. It is estimated
that about 20% of Bangalore's population reside in slums. These slums are posing
a major challenge to sustainable water supply and sanitation system in the city. |
Inadequate or poor services to urban poor has adverse impact on both BWSSB and
the general community -
|
- Unauthorised / illegal tap connections, which lead to loss of revenue;
- Damage the water supply system, as poorly made connections lead to leaks
and contamination of water;
- Run-off of Sewage in open places, sewage discharged directly into
storm-water drains, all of which lead to serious public health concerns,
pose environmental hazards and portray a poor public image of the Board.
|
The BWSSB-AusAID Master Plan Project was implemented during the period
2000-2002. The Community Development Component of the Project worked on
examining and testing options for improved services to the urban poor. Three slums
were selected as a demonstration, viz, Cement Huts, Sudhamanagar and
Chandranagar. These Pilot Projects provided opportunity to BWSSB to plan and
implement innovative options for delivery of services to the urban poor and work
out suitable strategies to reach the un-reached/ disadvantaged communities. |
After successful implementation of the Pilot Projects it has been considered imperative
to replicate these experiences to the best advantage of the BWSSB, to take the entire
city into its service fold, broaden its consumer and revenue base. |
BWSSB in its endeavour to replicate and upscale the ideas and concepts of the
pilot projects is now working to extend water supply and underground services to
the slums under package programmes. Slums coming under the jurisdiction of
newly added layouts and partially developed wards are being covered under the
‘Package Programme' in a systematic manner in coordination with advocate agencies
like - NGOs and CBOs. Under this programme entire wards falling under the BMP area
are being covered. |
|
| Motivation to take paid connection |
Residents in slums are being motivated to avail the opportunity to legally connect
to BWSSB water supply system and are actively discouraged from resorting to
illegal means. BWSSB has offered a rationalized reduction in the connection rates.
A house with an area of 150 sq.ft. is required to pay only the meter cost of
Rs.550/; between 151sq.ft. and 600 sq.ft. RS. 800/ (meter cost of Rs.550 + Rs.250-
cost of UGD connection) and a house above 600 sq.ft. has to pay the regular rates.
The slum dwellers are allowed to pay the connection charges in two instalments.
Further, the connection procedures have been simplified so that a slum dweller can
apply for a connection enclosing hakku patras issued by the BDA, KSCB, BMP; any proof
of residence, such as ration card, election identity card, identity card issued by
the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board, along with the application. |
|
| Multiple Strategies |
| The service levels being offered to the different categories of slums are: |
a) Individual household connections for those with land tenure and having
adequate space,
b) Community level services such as shared metered connections on payment for
those communities having land tenure but not adequate space and communities
without security of tenure. |
Public taps are not an option. The poor, after having been through the drudgery
of collecting water from public taps are happy in the encouraging atmosphere created
for availing individual household connections. The culture of user charges is very
well accepted. The results of the Willingness to Pay survey conducted under the
Master Plan Project indicate that the poor are willing to pay for improved services and
this has been borne out during the course of our work. |
Work has been initiated in 25 slum areas in different parts of the city with the help
of eight NGOs and CBOs. |
|
| Steps in implementation are as follows: |
- Meeting with NGOs.
- Meeting with the Community- initiation of community mobilization efforts.
- Site visit with NGO and concerned Engineers (DC Works / Maintenance) to
assess current infrastructure. Planning & developing appropriate
technical options.1
- Provision of Infrastructure / Improvements to existing infrastructure.
- Discussions with area Engineer (Maintenance) regarding mobilization
of connections (dates and other details are worked out). Planning of
appropriate service options.
- Issue of application forms to the community.
- Collection of applications.
- Issue of meters after sanction.
- Individual household plumbing work.
- Trial run of water evaluation.
|
|
| Partner NGOs |
| Association for Voluntary Action and Service (AVAS) |
| Mythri Sarva Seva Samiti (MSSS) |
| Suraksha |
| FEDINA |
| Joint Women's Programme |
| APSA (Association For Promotion of Social Action) |
| World Vision |
| Jyothi Mahila Sangha |
| DEEDS |
|
|
| Names Of The Slum Areas: |
1. Anandapuram
2. Lingarajapuram ‘A' and ‘B' Block
3. Lingarajapuram ‘G' Block
4. Parsi Garden
5. Krishnappa Line
6. Chettiappa Line
7. Giripura
8. Satyanagar
9. Venkateswara Slum
10. G. Byappanahalli
11. Krishnanpalya
12. Koramangala
13. D.J. Halli
14. Bagalur Layout
15. Deshianagar
16. Amarjyothi Layout
17. Arundhatinagar
18. Samadhan Nagar
19. Gandhinagar
20. Choona Line
21. Laggere
22. Dodda Banaswadi
23. Mominpura
24. Janata Colony
25. Siddharta Nagar |
