JAN - FEB 2005 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 & 4

A NEWSLETTER FOR WATER FOR ASIAN CITIES PROGRAMME IN MADHYA PRADESH (INDIA)

International Workshop on “Sanitation Technologies”

As a part of the implementation of the Habitat Globally, 2.2 million people die every year from diar-
Agenda through collaboration with all Partners in- rhoeal disease (including cholera) associated with • ADB loan has been
cluding Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) the contaminated water supply, sanitation and hy- signed by the Govt.
and for achieving the Millennium Development Goals giene. Most of them are children under the age of of India on 9th
for Sustainable Development in Water, Sanitation five. Basic sanitation facilities reduce the disease by
upto 77%. Sanitation facilities help check transmis-
March 2005. Total
and Hygiene, a Capacity Building Programme on
"Sanitation Technologies" was organised for African sion of many faecal related diseases by preventing cost of the project
Countries by UN-HABITAT in collaboration with diseases as improved water supply. will be US$ 275 Mil-
Sulabh International Institute of Technical Research lion. The loan is
and Training (SIITRAT) from 31st January - 12th meant for four towns
February 2005. Twenty-three sanitation experts from Bhopal, Indore,
five African countries viz. Burkina Fase, Cameroun, Gwalior, Jabalpur in
Ethiopia, Mozambique and Uganda participated and Madhya Pradesh.
received training in Sanitation Technologies in the
Workshop. Loan will be effec-
tive as soon as cer-
In the opening session Mr. M. K. Moitra, President, tain formalities are
Sulabh International Institute of Technical Research completed, which is
and Training (SIITRAT) welcomed the delegates. He
said that the world was fast becoming a “Knowledge
expected by mid-
Society” and it was good to unite in a common pur- April 2005.
suit to acquire knowledge and grow together. The
Ambassador of Ethiopia, Dr. Teketel Forsedo, in Mr. Pankaj Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Employment and
Poverty Alleviation, Govt. of India, delivering inaugural address
India addressed the Workshop on Sanitation Tech- • The Millennium
nologies, highlighting the need for technology ex- Dr. Kulwant Singh, Chief Technical Advisor, UN- Development Goals
change for the common good of the people' of India HABITAT expressed his gratitude to the participants, find a special men-
and Africa. He urged them to get new techniques to assuring them of UNHABITAT’s full support for ef-
improve sanitation facilities in their respective coun- forts aimed at Capacity Building Programme at both
tion in Union Fi-
tries. national and regional levels. nance Minister’s
Speech in Parlia-
Mr Daniel Adom, Chief Technical Advisor, UN- Delivering valedictory address at the Workshop on ment on 28th Febru-
HABITAT at Nairobi, appreciated the efforts of Su- 12th February 2005, Hon’ble Meira Kumar, Union
labh International in giving new dimension to sanita- Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment said
ary for “Budget 2004
tion technologies. The Chancellor of Sulabh Interna- "The Central Government is committed to provide - 2005”
tional Academy of Environmental Sanitation, Dr. safe sanitation and access to potable drinking water
Bindeshwar Pathak, talked about affordable Sulabh to all”. The meeting was also attended by First Sec-
technologies, which can be replicated, with modifica- retary from Mozambique High Commission, Counsel- Inside this issue:
tions, to suit the local conditions in African countries. lor from Uganda High Commission, Mr. Laxman
Singh, Member of Parliament and other dignitaries.
Mr. Pankaj Jain, IAS, Joint Secretary in the Ministry Increase in Accessibility 2
of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, deliv- Certificates and Momentous were awarded to the of Tap Water
ered the inaugural address. In his address he said: “ delegates by the Chief Guest, Hon'ble Union Minis-
This is for the first time that the UN has involved an ters Meira Kumar. Union Budget 2004 – 2005 3
NGO in its global effort to promote inter state coop-
eration on sanitation, especially with the developing To meet the Millennium Development Goals for
countries, to achieve the Millennium Development water and sanitation in Asia, it is estimated that an Water Bodies and Water 3
Goal relating to sanitation in a fixed time frame”. He additional 619 million people in Asian cities will need Harvesting
said that there were 2.6 billion people in the world to be provided with access to clean water, and 675
who either have no organised system of sanitation or million with access to adequate sanitation. Workshop on Pro-poor 4
have access only to noxious and unhygienic facility. Urban Water Governance

UWSEIMP Seminar 4
WATER FOR ASIAN CITIES PROGRAMME IN INDIA
The number of urban dwellers not receiving safe water had reached an all time high of 118 million by 2000 and continues to rise, an increase of 62 million over the
comparable figure in 1990. The situation with sanitation is much worse; with more than three times as many people denied even minimal sanitation facilities.
This workshop organized is a step towards strengthening and promoting South-South Cooperation for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas on appropriate tech-
nologies. Civic agencies of these African countries have expressed desire to adopt the techniques of cost-effective toilet systems devised by Sulabh International.

Madhya Pradesh: Increase in Accessibility of Tap Water

1981 1991 2001
Madhya India Madhya India Madhya India
Pradesh Pradesh Pradesh
Number of Total Households (Millions) 9.20 118.6 11.8 151.1 10.9 192.0

(i) Tap 15.9% 23.0% 24.1% 32.3% 25.3% 36.7%

(ii) Hand pump/Tube well 4.3% 15.2% 29.3% 30.0% 43.1% 41.2%
(iii) Well 67.0% 51.7% 40.8% 32.2% 29.0% 18.2%
Number of Urban Households (Millions) 1.9 28.5 2.7 39.5 2.8 53.7

(i) Tap 62.1% 63.2% 66.5% 65.1% 67.9% 68.7%

(ii) Hand pump/Tube well 4.5% 11.8% 13% 16.3% 20.6% 21.4%
(iii) Well 30.0% 20.4% 19.1% 15.9% 9.9% 7.7%
Note: 1. Source Census Data 1981, 1991 and 2001; 2. 1981 and 1991 data for M. P. includes Chhattisgarh

Providing basic amenities to the households is fundamental to good governance. Overtime, planners and policy makers have been struggling to reallo-
cate resources and devise plans to provide quality life for the common man. This objective that is real, looks illusive, yet needs to be fulfilled under
stiffer constraint of increasing population. Has the life of common man, over the years, become better in terms of availability of as basic an amenity of
drinking water? Over two decades, 1981 – 2001, in Madhya Pradesh, an increase of nine percent points in the accessibility of Tap drinking water is
reported by census 2001.

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 JAN - FEB 2005
Union Budget 2004 – 2005
“The countries of the world, India included, have set for themselves the
Millennium Development Goals” said Mr. P. Chidambaram, Minister of
Finance in his speech to the Indian Parliament while presenting Union
Government’s Budget for 2004-05. “Our date with destiny in not at the
end of the Millennium but in the year 2015. Will we achieve these goals?
In the eleven years that remain, it is in our hands to shape our destiny.
Progress is not always on a linear path. If we bring thought and passion
to our governance, and walk the path of honour and courage, we can
make the future to happen”.
Drinking water receives high priority in the budget “The poor want drink-
ing water: we shall ensure that every habitation has an assured source
of drinking water”. Drinking water is among the crucial programmes of
GOI which will also receive priority in plan reorientation and shall be
provided with additional funds.
Among the several thrust areas addressed by the Finance Minister in
the Budget 2004-05, following are, inter alia, included:
• Drinking water for all
• Expanding water harvesting and watershed development
• More housing for the poor
Restoring Water Bodies and Water Harvesting among the
Thrust Areas
Water is the lifeline of civilization. We have been warned that the biggest
crisis that the world will face in the 21st Century will be the crisis of
water. Water is indeed a renewable resource but, in any given year, it is
not inexhaustible. The crisis of water has affected the lives of millions of
our fellow citizens. In some Indian cities, whole households keep awake
to receive one or two buckets of water well past midnight. In rural areas,
the girl child is often pulled out of school in order to fetch water. Ex-
pressing concern about the impending crisis. Union Finance Minister
From Page 1
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 & 4
has proposed an ambitious scheme. Through the ages, Indian agricul-
ture has been sustained by natural and man-made water bodies such as
lakes, tanks, ponds and similar structures. It has been estimated that
there are more than a million such structures. Many of them have fallen
into disuse. Many of them have accumulated silt. Many require urgent
repairs. A massive scheme to repair, renovate and restore all the water
bodies (that are directly linked to agriculture) is, therefore, proposed to
the launched in the current year, it shall begin with pilot projects in at
least five districts. At least one district in each of the five regions of the
country shall be selected. The estimated cost is Rs. 1000 million. Once
the pilot projects are completed and validated, Government will launch
the National Water Resources Development Project and complete it
over a period of 7 to 10 years.
Funds will not be a constraint for implementing the project says the
Finance Minister. Currently, Life Insurance Corporation of India invests,
on an average, Rs. 30,000 million per year in water-related pro-
grammes. GOI also will pose this project to multilateral agencies for
funding. It is hoped that by the beginning of the next decade all water
bodies in India will be restored to their original glory and that the storage
capacity of these water bodies will be augmented by at least 100 per
cent.
Water Harvesting
Water harvesting schemes, specific to an area or village, have been
found to be extremely useful. Such schemes are supported by a number
of credit institutions. However, farmers belonging to the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes rarely benefit from such schemes. In order
to help these farmers, Government has decided to launch a nationwide
water harvesting scheme. The scheme will cover 100,000 irrigation units
at an average cost of Rs. 20,000 per unit. NABARD will lend the money
on easy terms and no margin money will be charged from the borrower.
Government will provide a 50 per cent capital subsidy through NABARD
and the estimate for the scheme is Rs. 1000 million.
On the issue of social discriminations,
in India, of which scavengers are the
worst victims. The Union Minister men-
tioned "One has to live through their
agony to know the depth of their de-
spair. I congratulate Sulabh for taking
up the work for liberation of scavengers
which Gandhji worked". She movingly
referred to her experience of social
prejudices and fondly remembered Dr.
Nelson Mandela who suffered in jail for
27 years so that we could be free.
*******************
Hon’ble Ms. Meira Kumar, Union Minis-
ter for Social Justice and Empower-
ment, distributing the certificates and
momentous to the delegates of the
workshop
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WATER FOR ASIAN CITIES PROGRAMME IN INDIA
Workshop on Pro-poor Urban Water Governance in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh, 18-19 March 2005
UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the State Govt. of Madhya Pradesh
(India) and the Asian Development Bank is organising a two days work-
shop on Pro-poor Urban Water Governance in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
(India) from18-19 March 2005. The objective of the Workshop is the
discussion of the intended approach and strategy to be adopted by UN
Habitat, for pro-poor governance in the implementation of the Water for
Asian Cities Programme in Madhya Pradesh and bringing together the
primary and secondary partners of the project.
The Workshop which is expected to the inaugurated by the Chief Minis-
ter of Madhya Pradesh will address several issues relating to Pro-poor
Water and Sanitation Governance, Achieving the MDGs, Bridging the
Sanitation Gap, Water Demand Management and Capacity Building of
Urban Local Bodies and all other stakeholders in the four cities of
Madhya Pradesh. The Workshop shall be attended by the City Mayors,
Municipal Commissioners, Development Commissioners, State Policy
Makers, NGOs, CBOs, Research and Training institutions and national
and international partners.
The Water for Asian Cities Programme in Madhya Pradesh, India pro-
poses to cover capacity building, awareness, advocacy and education
activities in urban water conservation and demand management, among
others. Presently UN-HABITAT is preparing a detailed implementation
strategy and plan for each of the four cities viz. Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior,
Jabalpur. UN-HABITAT's interventions in support of the ADB project
implementation in these cities shall endeavour to influence and direct
the benefits of project investments to the poor particularly those poor
who are living in slums, peri-urban and non-slum areas.
• Developing a framework of pro-poor water and sanitation gov-
ernance which inter-alia may focus on pro-poor cost recovery
mechanisms, demand management, water education and water
conservation,
• Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Behaviour Change in-
cluding sharing of Best Practices
• Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Knowledge Sharing
through partnerships with civil society.
UN-HABITAT shall be exploring livelihood approaches to poverty reduc-
tion including shelter, provision of basic services and income generation
opportunities. In this context UN-HABITAT shall bring international and
regional expertise and Best Practices for sharing and advocacy.
In the context of project cities agenda for better urban management and
Editorial Team
Editorial Board Gopal Reddy, Secretary, UADD, Government Board
Savitur Prasad, Director, Govt. of India
S.N. Mishra, Project Director, UWSEIP, Bhopal
Debashish Bhattacharjee, ADB, India Resident Mission
Professor H.M. Mishra, State Academy of Administration
Managing Editor Kulwant Singh, CTA, WAC Programme
implementation of ADB project, UN-HABITAT is trying to ascertain the
areas of concern for each city in which UN-HABITAT could lend support
to the city corporations and plan its| activities for the next 3-4 years.
Based on these needs UN-HABITAT shall present city level strategy to
be adopted by UN-HABITAT in the implementation of the Water for
Asian Cities Programme in Madhya Pradesh in the forthcoming work-
shop on Pro-poor Urban Water Governance on 18-19 March 2005 in
Bhopal.
Urban Water Supply & Environmental Improvement in
Madhya Pradesh (UWSEIMP) Seminar
The $275 million Urban Water Supply & Environmental Improvement
project of Madhya Pradesh proposed to be implemented in four major
cities of Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Jabalpur by the Government of
Madhya Pradesh (GoMP) with financial assistance of Asian Develop-
ment Bank (ADB) is in the final stage of commencement.
The key stakeholders other than the UADD who have parallel responsi-
bilities towards the project to play primary or secondary roles are PHED,
UDAs, DTCP and the municipal corporations of the project cities as well
as the ADB and UN Habitat. In addition, the beneficiaries represented
through various NGOs, societies and media are also important stake-
holders for the project. The success of the project is undoubtedly lies on
their participation and full cooperation to the line agencies directly in
charge of its implementation.
In order to interact with its stakeholders in the matters of their responsi-
bilities for its successful implementation and sustainability, a one-day
seminar was organized in MP State Academy of Administration, Bhopal.
The seminar was inaugurated by Shri Satya Prakash, Principal Secre-
tary, UADD who explained the project background and purpose of the
seminar. The project overview was given by Mr. S.N. Mishra, Project
Director. The team leader of ADB Project explained the role of the key
stakeholders’ in the project.
Shri Sunil Sood, Mayor of Bhopal; Shri V.N. Sejalwalkar, Mayor of
Gwalior; Dr. Uma Shashi Sharma, Mayor, Indore Municipal Corporation;
Mrs. Sushila Singh, Mayor, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation shared their
municipalities’ perceptions and commitments to the project. UN-
HABITAT highlighted the role and need for improving community initia-
tives and public awareness in support of the ADB project under the
Water for Asian Cities Programme.
UN-HABITAT
Water for Asian Cities Programme Office
EP-16/17, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi - 110021 (India)
Tel: +91-11-24104970 - 73
Fax: +91-11-24104961
Email: Kulwant.Singh@unhabitat.org
Website: www.unhabitat.org & www.unwac.org
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