Urban Sanitation in India: Concerns and Initiatives
Abstract
An attempt is made in this paper to review the urban sanitation situation, policy and programme initiatives in India using the policy documents and other reports available. India’s urban population is estimated to increase... [ view full abstract ]
An attempt is made in this paper to review the urban sanitation situation, policy and programme initiatives in India using the policy documents and other reports available. India’s urban population is estimated to increase from 377 million in 2011 to 600 million in 2031.
Sewerage network is not available in 4861 out of 5161 cities/towns, 18% of urban households defecate in the open and less than 25% of all waste water is treated. Lack of treatment of waste water is costing India $15 billion in treating water borne diseases. Cost per DALY due to poor sanitation is 90$ while cost due to poor hygiene practices is 15$.
As per the study carried out by Ministry of Urban Development (2010), none of the 423 study cities was “healthy” and “clean”, with only 4 cities fared better and 190 cities are on the brink of emergency. There is pressure on freshwater resources as about 2500 million litres are disposed directly into the Ganges River alone and about 4,250 million litres into its tributaries.
National Urban Sanitation Policy attempts to deal with the sanitation issues such as: poor sanitation awareness, overlapping institutional responsibilities, poor supply-driven approach in provision of sanitation, the urban poor who face economic constraints in accessing safe sanitation.
The issues include : low infrastructure, low investments, investments made on an ad hoc basis, high investment needs, low service coverage, norm based approach, focus on individual projects and asset Creation, uncertainty over land tenure, weak Institutional Framework, low maintenance of assets, no coordination, limited technical expertise and capacity.
Recent initiative Swachch Bharat Mission covers rural as well as urban areas gives emphasis to individual and school toilets with corporate sector encouraged to take up this as part of CSR.
Authors
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ulimiri v somayajulu
(Sigma Research and Consulting)
Topic Area
IV. Urbanism, Health and Wellbeing 4.1 Built environment 4.2 Pollution: air, noise, etc
Session
PBAIC-O-03 » Place Based Actions to Prevent Disease and Promote Health In Cities (10:45 - Sunday, 3rd April, TBA)
Paper
Urban_sanitation_in__India_-_ULIMIRI__iuch.docx
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