Strenthening Urban Local Bodies for delivering quality Sanitation Serivces

The government of India is aggressively working on various aspects of Sanitation during the last couple of years and it has percolated at the state level up to a certain extent as sanitation is a state subject. However, the biggest challenge is at the city or ULB level where the majority of them lack capacities in terms of on-ground translation of policies. Urban local bodies have multiple verticals to deal with sanitation but there are numerous gaps that result in inadequate water and sanitation services at the household or community level. For example, inadequate public toilets for the poor population residing in slums, inappropriate quality and inadequate quantity of water, lack of waste collection, or transfer stations, uncleaned drains, and moreover absence of feedback mechanism, community engagement, and leadership in resolving these problems.

The above issues will be resolved through a three-pronged approach. First is providing technical support to the City governments, identifying the gaps and filling them by building the critical capacities, developing user feedback mechanisms that can quickly help them to manage the sanitation business and provide adequate infrastructure at the community level. Second, working with the select community and developing a replicable model for creating community engagement platforms for their increased participation and local leadership in problem-solving at their level. The third component is working with the unorganized sanitation workers and tiny sanitation entrepreneurs strengthening them by linking with the social security schemes, organizing them for a common voice, building their business capacities, and linking with the government to work as an extended hand of the city governments.

There are two major types of ULBs, one known as municipal corporations and the other as municipal boards. Municipal corporations cover larger populations while boards a smaller Population. The project will b implemented in two states Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, it will be implemented in corporations while in Madhya Pradesh in six municipal boards. 

1- Appropriate mechanism within the City government for implementing

2-Active Sanitation committees at the community level

3-Improved access to the toilet facilities for the slum population

4- An adequate mechanism for waste segregation and its collection

5-Active and organized informal sanitation service providers

6-Improved access to social security schemes for the sanitation workers.