Tuesday, September 17, 2013

24 September 2013: Urban Sanitation: Assessing Priorities and Options

Meera Mehta
CEPT University, Ahmedabad

Abstract:
Little is known about the outcome of significant government investments being made in urban water and sanitation sector in India. To address this, a Performance Assessment System (PAS) Project was initiated at CEPT University in 2009to develop a sustainable system for monitoring of performance outcomes of urban water and sanitation services. Development and implementation of a sustainable system for the past four years in 419 cities in Gujarat and Maharashtra has enabled state and local governments to track service level outcomes. This experience has shown that assessing urban sanitation requires different benchmarks than those suggested under Service Level Benchmarks (SLB) Initiative by MoUD. For example the reality of urban India is that while 80% of households have access to on-premise toilets, only 30% are connected to a sewerage system, which often lack functional treatment facility. A majority depends on on-s ite systems, but this is not included in the assessment.Thus, an outcome based framework rather than a technology based one is needed.

To address these issues, a framework for city wide sanitation assessment has been developed for the entire value chain of sanitation, including grey water, storm water as well as solid waste. To ensure sustainability, financing is also considered in assessing sanitation options. Using this framework, the PAS Project has supported development of plans for four cities in Maharashtra to assess a range of options and their implications on service levels and local finances for capital funding and operations. These plans demonstrate that desired service levels can be achieved with investments that are affordable by municipalities and suggest wider policy implications for financing of sanitation.

Date: September 24, 2013
Time: 03:45 P.M.

Venue:
Conference Hall
Centre for Policy Research,
Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi–110021(INDIA)

Note:
For further information, please contact: Marie-Hélène Zerah at marie-helene.zerah@ird.fr or Partha Mukhopadhyay at partha@cprindia.org

Location:

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Friday, September 13, 2013

23 September 2013: Launch of Urbanization beyond Municipal Boundaries- Nurturing Metropolitan Economies and Connecting Peri-Urban Areas in India Report

Presenters:
Tara Vishwanath, Lead Economist
World Bank
and
Somik Lall, Lead Economist
World Bank

Chair:
Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India

Discussants:
Dr. Partha Mukhopadhyay, Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies, New Delhi                
Ms. Ireena Vittal, Co-author of the McKinsey Report on India's Urban Awakening: Building inclusive cities, Sustaining economic growth

Abstract:
The report informs policy priorities to manage India’s urbanization. Incisive analysis of the patterns of India’s urbanization derived from geo-referencing and linking various rounds of the population and economic census highlights rapid suburbanization of people and firms around the country’s largest metropolitan areas. Three areas of policy reform are put forward. First, to accommodate urban expansion, India needs to make changes to its urban planning “License Raj”. Urban planning systems across the country limit urban expansion, redevelopment, modernization and the re-purposing of older inefficient areas. Investing in India’s institutional and informational foundations can enable land and housing markets to function efficiently while deregulating land use in urban areas. To achieve this, planning for land use and planning for infrastructure must be coordinated so that densification of metropolitan areas can be accompanied by infrastructure improvements. Second, expanding and delivering better infrastructure services to improve livability. Policy makers need to institute reforms that would help providers recover costs yet reach out to poorer neighborhoods and peripheral areas. Third, strengthening physical connectivity between metropolitan hubs and their peripheries to develop areas that attract the majority of people and businesses over the medium term. Investments in network infrastructure alongside logistics improvements can facilitate the smoother movement of goods. Land policy, infrastructure services, and connectivity—coordinated improvements in this triad can help India reap dividends from improved spatial equity and greater economic efficiency that come with urbanization.

Date: September 23, 2013
Time: 03:00 P.M.

Venue:
Room No. HT-1-300,
Ground Floor, Hindustan Times Building,
Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi - 110001(INDIA)

Location:

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Note:
Please confirm your participation to Lorraine Ghosh at lghosh@worldbank.org