Strengthening WASH services-Community Interface Through Community-led Platform (Basthi Vikas Manch)
The basic infrastructure facilities in the slums differ from slum to slum in size and other characteristics like lack of safe sanitation services, the supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement and other civic services. Most of these slum dwellers are daily wage labourers and private employees. Houses in these slums are mostly semi-pucca and pucca.
Through community led initiatives, one of the objective is to bring BVM community members and Government officials together to interact and to encourage open communication and sharing of concerns for speedy action to their woes related to WASH. This case study emphasizes the importance of the community-service department’s role in improving citizen WASH services and also on the awareness of citizen on the activities and programs of government. Empowering the urban community on water supply and sanitation rights by creating a citizen’s platform primarily knows as Basthi Vikas Manch. Through this platform several capacity building programs, workshops have been organized to make the community aware of WASH importance and its need in day to day life. Though, representations were submitted to the concerned departments on issues of WASH and other civic related issues faced by the community in the slum, it is always difficult for the community to go to the concerned office that incur some time and travel cost. The departments have tried to resolve their issues in the basthi especially on drinking water, sanitation facility and garbage disposal but it need frequent follow up. The interface program helped in bring out the more transparency between them, there have been meetings organized with GHMC and HMWSSB officials to discuss on WASH services in the community. GHMC and HMWSSB officials will have a deep interaction with the community on WASH and other issues in their basthi’s, by taking a vital role in providing citizens with convenience and comfort in all services with the department
In these programs, community were updated on the use of new grievance submission platform such as mobile apps initiated by the government to provide better, most efficient transparency and responsive services to the citizens and promote greater efficiency with the government. These apps are initiated under the concept of smart government which has been successful and appreciated. This will make the citizens benefited by the direct interface with the government, no need to run around various departments for the services and spending long hours to get the consultation or get the work done. These apps such as, MY GHMC and HMWSSB were explained to the community which has been developed to engage people closely with government by reporting grievance quickly and accurately to the concerned officials. In which, the services in the mobile app ranges from utility bill, tax payment, issues of certificates, civic issues (mosquitoes, water tankers, bore repairs, street lights, garbage issues etc.) and complaint grievances redressal. It is also developed in such a way that the citizen can also track the status of the grievance and follow up on the work, this will save time, energy, money and gives hassle-free business with the administration. This will also make citizen to aware of government activities through these apps. Each grievance is given a certain period of time to resolve the issue, in case if it is not solved in the given period of time, the concerned officer is liable for the penalty. This will provide a strong responsibility for the government to track the grievances raised in their jurisdiction and to take action on the move. They can view the abstract reports of the grievances pending at their desk, resolved and citizen satisfaction. All the administrative departments come to the customer under one roof offering the citizen a wide range of citizen-friendly services. The community has also shared their issues with the officers on garbage collection, water supply, and mosquitoes etc. Officials have also shared their contact numbers with the community and took a note of the concerned issues and promised a quick redressal.
- Most of the residents of these basthi’s collect bore water from either from water tanks or bore well pumps located with in the basthi boundary. Insufficient water supply was the major issue.
- For drinking water, they are relying on government municipal water supply through water tanker and mini water tanks located in the community. Around 80% of these households were applied for Urban Mission Bhagiratha –for household drinking water supply connections, construction work is in progress.
- Almost every household has a toilet facility except for those who are staying in huts in the basthis.
- In few basthi’s, SaciWATERs with an assist from WaterAid have improved access to water supply and sanitation by the installation of power borewell pumps, household yard connections, constructed bio-toilets, bio digesters, rainwater harvesting units, ground water recharging pits, soak pits in the community.
Officers noting down the concerns of the community and promising a quick re-dressal on the issues was the best part of these meeting. Facilitating the event by bringing BVM community members and Government officials together to encourage transparency and open discussion on WASH issues in the community. Supervising and supporting, community and other public institutions in implementation of WASH in marginalized communities. It has built a productive relationship between community and government by engaging and involving the public, and effectively communicating accurate and essential information to all audiences.