JalDarshan

A quarterly newsletter by the Urban Management Centre-ICMA/SA

Volume 1. Issue 1. July 2010

(For Private Circulation Only)

In this issue:
Editorial About PAS Assessing Performance Progress of PAS Good Practices 2 2 4 5

Editorial
The Urban Management Center is happy to bring out the inaugural issue of the Jal Darshan as part of their five year project, Performance Assessment of Urban Water and Sanitation (PAS) in India. The prime objective of the project is to assess and improve the performance of the Water and Sanitation services in urban Gujarat and Maharashtra. The PAS project endeavors to help improve local government capacities and skills, specifically in the water and sanitation sector by facilitating sharing of knowledge, information and urban management practices. Project envisages development of several Key indicators-dash board indicators which would enable evaluation of utility status as this is of immediate concern to citizens. Project would also attempt nailing of each utility with reliability scale related to the prevailing strategies adopted for its routine functioning. This would motivate them to improve its functioning to achieve the higher reliability. The entire exercise would lead to the Benchmarking process. . Benchmarking is generally understood as a process of identifying the highest standards of excellence for services and then making the improvements necessary to reach those standards. However, this project will employ benchmarking to identify policy reforms, needed investments and service inequities that impair critical service improvements. The main objectives are to build local ownership and capacity for regular performance monitoring, establish links with financing mechanisms that incentivize effective use of this information and ensure sustainability of benchmarking process by integrating it with normal planning and budgeting processes. This quarterly newsletter will bring to you updates of the activities being undertaken under the PAS project, leading practices and improvements in the water supply and sanitation sector. This inaugural issue is a brief introduction to PAS project. The future editions will bring you more details of events, results and features of best practices and innovative ideas

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URBAN MANAGEMENT CENTRE in collaboration with ICMA

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About PAS

Map Depicting 166 Urban Local Bodies of Gujarat

The Performance Assessment of Urban Water and Sanitation (PAS) in India, an action research project being coordinated by CEPT University has been initiated with funding support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project to be implemented over five years (200913) in Gujarat and Maharashtra aims to develop a performance measurement and monitoring system for water and sanitation services. Under the project, four rounds of data collection will be undertaken covering all the urban local bodies in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
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Background:

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Over the years, the country has made impressive gains in terms of developing infrastructure for water and sani88 tation services in urban areas. A WHO/UNICEF report 79 103 96 states, water supply is extended to 96 percent and sani79 2 tation to 82 percent urban households. However, the 74 75 0 end users across various strata face problems includ69 81 51 100 59 ing inadequate quality, uneven supply, low water pres95 32 55 51 72 28 129 100 0 6 28 distribution of services. The urban sure 57 and inequity in 32 116 0 92 0 3 75 0 0 end and have to toil poor especially, are at the receiving 0 63 63 59 52 52 50 46 44 41 37 36 0 a lot 32 in getting 13 access to water and sanitation. A major impediment in remedial action, ensuring proper alloThe collated data would be annually monitored for percation and improving the Urban Water and Sanitation formance on various developed benchmarks. This inforServices (UWSS) is lack of dependable information colmation database will help decision makers and local govlection system to assess and monitor the performance ernments to bring efficiency in service delivery, effective of UWSS. Furthermore, there are no standards against budget allocation and inclusive coverage. The emerging which performance can be gauged. The absence of rigWater Supply Sewerage SWM lessons will be shared at the national level. The Urban orous information collection system further negatively Management Center (UMC) and All India Institute of impacts the financial viability of municipal bodies makLocal Self Governance (AIILSG) are CEPTs project parting it difficult to recover the operating costs through ners in Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. tariffs Revision or other suitable measures.
Vapi Valsad Godhara Bharuch Gandhidham Mehsana Palanpur Navsari Veraval Patan Botad Anand Nadiad Jetpur Morbi Surendranagar Kalol

75 0 38 Porbandar

Assessing Performance of Urban Water and Sanitation Services in Gujarat

Under this backdrop, the PAS project aims to introduce robust data collection system, wherein data on the performance of the UWSS will be consistently collected and monitored against various standards. Additionally, the availability of such information will help State Governments in Gujarat and Maharashtra to implement performance linked grants, track performance on reform commitments under the programs like Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM/UIDSSMT) and also possibly reward better performing local governments. state-wide sanitation programs. The issue today is more of inefficient water delivery system and financial management. It is here that PAS project with updated UWSS information

The key components of PAS project are:

To develop and implement a performance measurement system for regular and reliable water and sanitation information. In the first round, information will be collected from ULBs by UMC team. However, in subsequent rounds, ULB staff will make a self-assessment of their performance based on improved reliability for its data generation.. This will be supported with training and verification. To design and share results with ULBs, State Government agencies, other stakeholders and media through performance monitoring and dissemination system enabling appropriate decision making, providing incentives and influencing demand. To facilitate development of performance improvement plans by ULBs with assistance from State/Central Governments, NGOs and the private sector. This will happen through availability of benchmarks and information on performance of other ULBs from regular monitoring. The project will additionally, extend assistance to local governments to develop performance improvement plans (PIPs) for reaching the poor and unserved. This will also help in increasing financial viability through improved operational efficiency. tariff revision, billing and collection efficiency improvement. Guidance modules for ISIP & PIPs will be developed through pilot applications in a few cities.

PAS in Gujarat:
Gujarat with 38 percent of its population living in 166 urban centers is the third most urbanized state in the country. The water and sanitation service provision, operation and maintenance of systems in urban areas are a function of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in the state. The ULBs operate under Urban Development and Housing Department, Government of Gujarat (GoG) along with its associated departments and entities. The growing urbanization in the state has resulted in added pressure on ULBs. Moreover, the state has also been witness to pollution of surface water sources and over-drawal of ground water. Today, less than a third of ULBs in the state are partially covered with sewerage services and have inadequate treatment capacities. The GoG on its part has been constantly taking initiatives to improve the UWSS scenario. Projects like Sardar Sarovars Narmada Canal based Drinking Water Supply Project, the largest of its kind in India has put the State in a water surplus situation. Other initiatives include convergence of all departments dealing with water resources and bulk water supply along with large-scale

Progress of PAS in Gujarat

UMC along with CEPT University has been consistently working on PAS Project implementation over the past few months. The first in the series of initiatives undertaken was pilot level data collection on Urban Water and Sanitation Services (UWSS) in the state before commencing the first round of data collection. The UMC team also developed profiles of 159 municipalities in the state as a preparatory step for the first round of data collection. Additionally, a project launch workshop was also organized earlier this year by UMC. and solid waste management was also gathered. To capture data on service delivery to slum dwellers, the team visited slum pockets in each of the cities. It employed Mapping Exercise to gain an insight and understand the city services.

City Profiles:
Another task undertaken as part of the project by UMC team was the preparation of city profiles of 159 municipal bodies in the state, which provides a snapshot of the citys profile with respect to water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, storm water drainage and finance. This is a useful and guiding document for the team before the actual visits to the city for the first round on data collection on UWSS.

Data Collection in Pilot Cities:

UMC began work on the integral project component of UWSS data collection with guidance and support from Ministry of Urban Development, Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Urban Development Company and Director of Municipalities. For this exercise, 11 cities were selected. The pilot cities were selected on basis of various parameters comprising of a citys size, geographical location, access to Narmada water, ground water condition and agro-climatic zones. The cities chosen for final selection comprised of Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Deesa, Dhandhuka, Dhrol, Jasdan, Kalol, Kutiyana, Morbi and Upleta. During several visits to these cities, the UMC team met up with the department heads, and accessed ULB records, Directorate of Municipalities formats and financial balance sheets. Data on water supply, sewerage, sanitation

Workshop:
A workshop was organized to launch the PAS project in Ahmedabad in February 2009 by UMC along with CEPT University. The aim of this workshop was to discuss the scope and objectives of the PAS program with relevant State Government Institutions and garner support from the pilot city officials. The workshop was well attended with presence of Hon. Mayor of Bhavnagar, state government officials, Municipal Commissioners of Ahmedabad and Surat, Chief Officers and officials from the pilot cities.

Good Practices
Producing compost for a greener city Waste to Compost Initiatives in Jasdan, Dhrol and Kutiyana Municipalities
There has been increasing significance of promoting efficient management of solid wastes in the State. This is reflected in the various initiatives started by the State Government in this context. An example of this is the setting up of a Solid Waste Vermi-composting Treatment Plant at Jasdan. The facility has been installed and commissioned by Gujarat Urban Development Company, while the site is operated by an NGO, Jay Parshuram Seva Sangathan Samiti. The Jasdan Municipality collects the waste and brings it to the treatment site. The site receives about two tons of organic waste daily. The Jasdan Municipality has used the manure for supporting its urban forestry and greening initiative. Similarly, Dhrol and Kutiyana too have adopted such an initiative.

Driving efficiency through automation

Upletas custom-made software has helped the municipality get into the fullycomputerized mode
In an effort to increase its operational efficiency, Upletas Municipality changed from manual operations of tax collection, bill preparation, record maintenance and tax calculation to a fully computerized system. The software was developed as per the needs of the Municipality. With the computerization of operations, a composite bill and receipt of all taxes is issued. The software includes a user-friendly facility wherein property tax details can be searched only by the initials of the name. In another effort, efficient door to door solid waste collection in Upleta has sent across a significant message on cleanliness and hygiene across the city. Solid waste is collected from each household and transferred to the collection point in covered auto vans.

 Urban water and Urban Sanitation Services are important but forgotten issues until there is a breakdown which has large scale effect. The indicators being developed under PAS will serve as a tool to improve service level with all sorts of limited resources of ULBs. Chetan Dave, Chief Officer, Upleta Municipality

UMC: Urban Management Centre is a not for profit organization based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and working towards professionalizing urban management in India and South Asia. UMC provides technical assistance and support to the Indian state local government associations and implements programs that work towards improvement in cities by partnering with city governments. UMC builds and enhances the capacity of city governments by providing much-needed expertise and ready access to innovations on good governance implemented in India and abroad UMC is a legacy organization of International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and hence is also known as ICMA-South Asia. More details on www.umcasia.org PAS, a five year action research project has been initiated by CEPT University with funding support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. PAS aims to develop better information on water and sanitation performance at the local level to be used to improve the financial viability, quality and reliability of services. It will use performance indicators and benchmarks on water and sanitation services in all the 400 plus urban areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Urban Management Center and All India Institute of Local Self Governance are CEPTs project partners in Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. More Details: www.pas.org.in; www.spcept.ac.in

City governments are continuously adapting their techniques, systems and approaches in their pursuit of providing improved services to citizens. Through this newsletter, UMC brings to you such leading practices from across India and South Asia to you. We have done research and validation with support from city governments in authenticating the facts and information on which the practices are based. We acknowledge all the municipal officials and urban experts who have helped us in compiling such innovative practices. However, if you would require more details, please contact us. Please send your articles, feedback to info@umcasia.org If you wish not to receive this newsletter, kindly send a mail to info@umcasia.org . See www.umcasia.org for earlier newsletters.

URBAN MANAGEMENT CENTRE in collaboration with ICMA