Crosscutting Agra Program - Global Heritage...

Final Report – CAP CURE

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Crosscutting Agra Program FINAL REPORT: August 2007

Supported by U.S. Agency for Internat ional Development

Submitted to FIRE (D) Project Submitted by Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) C 2 Green Park Extension, New Delhi 110016


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Crosscutting Agra Program Team

Dr. Renu Khosla Ms. Shveta Mathur Ms. Barsha Poricha

Mr. Kumar Saket Mr. Rajesh Kumar Saraswat


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Acknowledgement

The Crosscutting Agra Program (CAP) is a small organic project implemented by the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE), a development NGO, with financial support of the USAID since August 2005. The project was also actively supported by the Agra Nagar Nigam . CAP is aimed at improving the quality of lives of poor people through better access to basic sanitation services and livelihoods. Over the one and half years of project implementation, CAP has grown from a small grassroots level initiative to a citywide technical support project enabling Agra city to undertake citywide pro-poor urban development. CAP has both widened and deepened its interventions and has provided the city with a demonstrable model for development of urban poor communities capable of replication in other sites and areas. Over the project period CURE has worked with several partners and organizations and would like to take the opportunity to thank all for their supporter of CAP and contribution in its successful implementation. CAP has been an inclusive project implemented in five low-income settlements of Agra with the active participation of residents, in particular women and young people. People actively engaged in project implementation include CAP field facilitators from Delhi and Agra: Bhagwati Joshi, Darshan Mehra, Manoj, Manju, Mahipal, Ashok, Rashmi, Meera, Geeta, Kalpana; the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise group: Balkrishan, Kishan, Rakesh, Radhamohan, Lekhraj and others; and Community-based Organiza tions: Adarsh and Jagriti Mahila Mandals. CURE deeply appreciates their support in the successful implementation of the project. A key partner in CAP has been the Agra Municipal Corporation (Agra Nagar Nigam-ANN) that has provided CAP both physical office space and institutional support, in implementing project activities in the area of sanitation. ANN has also facilitated CURE’s linkages with other local agencies in the city and we would like to express our deep gratitude for the same, especially to Mr. S. S. Yadav, Municipal Commissioner , Mr. A.K. Tripathi, Additional Commissioner, Mr. Suresh Chand, Executive Engineer and Nodal Officer, whose active support has helped CURE to better implement project activities. The project also received extensive support from the Special Secretary (Urban Development), Government of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. S. P. Singh; Mr. Ashok Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Agra; Mr. Sanjay Prasad , District Magistrate ; and Mr. Kardam (DUDA). Several agencies/organizations and citizens in Agra have been involved in CAP and have enabled CURE to get a better understanding of ground realities so as to better plan and meet people’s needs. These agencies and their teams, i.e., Archeological Survey of India: Mr. Dayalan, Mr. M C Sharma and Mr Ram Ratan; India Tourism: Mr. Sudhir Kumar; and Mr. Raman, Dr. Parikh and Mr. Pawan Kumar Jain from Citizen Council. CURE sincerely expresses its gratitude to all the people who have whole heartedly supported the project. Key partners in CAP have been the local NGO SANKALP; Mr. Ambar Vishal and the private sector through the Tourism Guild; and Mr. Mahatam Singh and Mr. Bhowmik. Their active engagement in CAP has been responsible for the successful development of the livelihood component under CAP. USAID, i ts Offices of Economic Growth and Social Development, have provided both financial and technical support under CAP, for which CURE is immensely grateful. Thanks are due to


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Ms Rebecca Black, Director, Office of Economic Growth USAID, and Mr. N.Bhattacharjee, Program Manager and Urban Team Leader. In particular, CURE would like to acknowledge its deep appreciation of the support from Mr. Anand Rudra, Associate Program Officer USAID and Ms Mamta Kohli, Social Development and Gender Advisor USAID that has allowed CAP to build from a small project into one that has larger policy and reform implications. USAID’s support has been provided through its technical consultants: Mr. Lee Baker and Mr. Chetan Vaidya from the FIRE (D-III) project and Mary Hill Rojas, Bhavna Lal and Haven Ley, Chemonix. CURE has immensely benefited from the technical interventions of Mr. Maurice Mitchell and students from the London Metropolitan University and Mr. Daniel Mattson, Tourism Consultant from Heritage Design whose valuable inputs have helped CAP sharpen the products under CAP in the areas of sanitation and tourism development. CURE wants to put on record its appreciation of all those who were at different points involved in the project especially, Kamna Swami, IL&FS; Hitesh Vaidya, IL&FS; Sakshi Chadha, TERI; Dr. Satya Prakash and Mr Debashish Nayak, CRUTA. Renu Khosla CURE


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CONTENT

Crosscutting Agra Program Team ...............................................................................................................i

From A Small Project: Acknowledgement............................................................................................... ii

Content................................................................................................................................................................... iv

List Of Boxes ....................................................................................................................................................... vi

List Of Tables......................................................................................................................................................vii

List Of Figures....................................................................................................................................................vii

List Of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................viii

Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................1

1. Project Background.................................................................................................................................8

2. Project Context ...........................................................................................................................................8

3. Objectives .....................................................................................................................................................9

4. Project Scope...........................................................................................................................................10

5. Approach and Strategy........................................................................................................................11 5.1 Building Partnerships and Networks ..................................................................................11 5.2 Change in Approach...................................................................................................................12 5.3 Community Mobilization and Organization ......................................................................14 5.4 Capacity Development..............................................................................................................14 5.5 Mainstreaming and Sustainability........................................................................................15

6. Networking and Private Sector Alliances....................................................................................16 6.1 Community-based Organizations of Poor People.........................................................16 6.2 Local Government Agencies ..................................................................................................16 6.3 Private Sector................................................................................................................................18 6.4 Civil Society Organizations.....................................................................................................18 6.5 Media Support...............................................................................................................................19

7. Project Baseline......................................................................................................................................19

8. Community Mobilization .....................................................................................................................22


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9. Project Interventions ............................................................................................................................24 9.1 Activities and Achievements under Solid Waste Management and Sanitation24

9.1.1. Solid Waste Management....................................................................................................24 9.1.2. Toilets..........................................................................................................................................28 9.1.3. Wastewater Drainage Systems..........................................................................................33 9.1.4. Capacity Building of ANN .....................................................................................................35

9.2 Activities and Achievements for Sustainable Livelihoods........................................36

9.2.1. Towards Threshold Incomes and Sustainable Livelihoods ........................................37 9.2.2. Community-based Tourism: The Business Model ........................................................37 9.2.3. Setting up and Operating a Community Credit Fund Facility....................................44 9.2.4. Alliances with the Private Sector ........................................................................................46

9.3 Building the Community-based Information System (CBIS)....................................46

10. Linkages to Other Programs........................................................................................................47

11. Outputs/Impacts................................................................................................................................48

12. Challenges in the Project: An Introspection.........................................................................51

13. Lessons Learned...............................................................................................................................52

14. Sustainability......................................................................................................................................54

15. Way Forward .......................................................................................................................................54

Annexure 1: Inception workshop Recommendations ......................................................................55

Annexure 2: SWOT Analysis for setting up of Mughal Heritage Walk.......................................57

Annexure 3: Agra Tourism Assessment.................................................................................................58

Annexure 4: Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise - The Business Plan.........................................62

Annexure 5: Minutes of Meeting - Lessons Learnt Workshop......................................................64

Annexure 6: Paper presentation.................................................................................................................67


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LIST OF BOXES Box 1 Agra-The Fact Sheet ..........................................................................................................................8 Box 2 The Mughal Heritage Walk ...........................................................................................................11 Box 3 Community Mobilization and Organization..........................................................................14 Box 4 Participatory tools for Information Collection and Community Mobilization........20 Box 5 Planning From Inside Out.............................................................................................................22 Box 6 Recreation for Youth Forms: An Entry Point for Environmental Improvement....26 Box 7 Solid Waste Management Challenge.......................................................................................28 Box 8 People Create Private Bathing Spaces Around Standposts.........................................29 Box 9 Solid Waste Management Micro Enterprise Development Challenge: ...................36 Box 10 Livelihood Initiatives under Crosscutting Agra Program...............................................36 Box 11 Women in Self-help Groups Borrow for Personal Needs...............................................45 Box 12 Self-help Groups Expand And Formalize..............................................................................45 Box 13 Best Practice for PEARL – JNNURM ......................................................................................47 Box 14 Lessons Learnt from the Crosscutting Agra Program....................................................53


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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1: BASELINE ..............................................................................................................................................21 TABLE 2: KEY COMMUNITY CONCERNS .............................................................................................................23 TABLE 3: KEY SANITATION ACHIEVEMENTS.....................................................................................................24 TABLE 4: SITUATION OF COMMUNITY TOILETS.................................................................................................32 TABLE 5: ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER THE PROJECT .............................................................................................37 TABLE 6: GROUP EARNINGS ...............................................................................................................................43 TABLE 7: EXISTING COMMUNITY GROUPS ........................................................................................................49 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1: A GRA AND THE MUGHAL HERITAGE WALK ...................................................................................10

FIGURE 2: L INKAGES WITH THE JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL MISSION..............15

FIGURE 3: ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS......................................................................................................16

FIGURE 4: PLANS FOR COMMUNITY TOILETS...................................................................................................30

FIGURE 5: BASE M AP OF KACHHPURA..............................................................................................................39

FIGURE 6: COMMUNITY-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM ..................................................................................47

FIGURE 7: COMMUNITY OUTREACH PYRAMID ..................................................................................................50


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List of Abbreviations ADA Agra Development Authority AMM Adarsh Mahila Mandal ANN Agra Nagar Nigam ASI Archeological Survey of India CAA Constitutional Amendment Act CAP Crosscutting Agra Program CBIS Community Based Information System CBOs Community Based Organizations CCF Community Credit Fund CCFMG Community Credit Fund Management Group CDP City Development Plan CDS City Development Strategy CPCB Central Pollution Control Board CURE Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence CSO Civil Society Organization CSYP Cross Sectoral Youth Program D2D Door-to-door DASD Department of Spatial Design DPR Detailed Project Rep ort DUDA District Urban Development Authority FIRE (D) Financial and Institutional Reforms and Expansion-Debt EDI Equated Daily Installments FGD Focus Group Discussions GMED Global Micro Enterprise Development GSTA Global Sustainable Tourism Agen cy GOI Government of India JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation JNNURM Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Km Kilometer KSUP Kachhpura Settlement Upgrading Program KVIC Khadi and Village Industries Corporation KWK Katra Wazir Kh an LCS Low-Cost Sanitation LMU London Metropolitan University MB Marwari Bastee MHW Mughal Heritage Walk MHWE Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise MSW Municipal Solid Waste NGO Non Government Organization O&M Operations and Maintenance PEARL Peer Experience and Reflective Learning PPP Public Private Partnerships RCH Reproductive and Child Health SHGs Self-help Groups SIDO Small Industries Development Organization SSK Soochna Sansadhan Kendra SWM Solid Waste Management TCGI TCG International LLC TSG Toilet Savings Group UHRC Urban Health Resource Centre UP Uttar Pradesh USAID United States Agency for International Development VAMBAY Valmiki Ambedkar Malin Bastee Awas Yojana


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Executive Summary The Crosscutting Agra Program (CAP) was initiated in August 2005 with the support of the Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN) and USAID with the aim of improving sanitation in selected low -income communities and enhancing livelihoods for young people and women. The Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE), a development NGO working in the urban sector, was identified to facilitate the process of community mobilization for improved sanitation and sustainable livelihoods in selected slum communities in the city. This report is about the sanitation interven tions supported under USAID’s FIRE (D-III) project between August 2005 and April 2007. Project Context Agra is one of the fastest growing Indian cities with a projected population of 2.27 million in 2011. Census 2001 estimates 0.12 million slum dwellers i.e., 9.67% of the total city population in 252 slum settlements. Recent surveys by CURE have counted 382 slum areas in Agra. City sanitation in Agra is an area of key concern and citizen priority. Agra has three world heritage sites and over 2000 big and small monuments that are not very well known.

The ANN is responsible for supply of some of the sanitation services (solid waste disposal and wastewater drainage). It has scarce financial resources and technical capacity to plan and implement a citywide/total sanitation initiative and hence largely excludes slum communities from its systems. Agra civil society is underdeveloped and un-empowered and lacks capacity to motivate and mobilize poor communities for participation in planning and oversight of the city’s sanitation initiatives. CAP was a pilot project aimed at demonstrating processes of community inclusion in planning for improved sanitation and urban livelihoods.

Project Objectives and Scope The overall project goal was to develop a livelihood and slum upgrading pilot program around a heritage trail of lesser-known monuments in Agra. Specifically, CAP aims to: § Mobilize and organize low-income communities, in particular women and young

people, to participate in the planning and implementation of sanitation services and livelihoods;

§ Develop a Mughal Heritage Trail around a cluster of lesser -known monuments to enhance tourism-based livelihood opportunities, skills and access to credit; and

§ Improve environmental conditions in communities through better practices for solid waste management in partnership with local agencies

CAP is designed around a Heritage Trail of four lesser-known monuments in Agra linked to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort on the other side of River Yamuna and five nearby slum communities: Katra Wazir Khan, Marwari Bastee, Kucchpura, Nagladevjeet and Yamuna Bridge. The Mughal Heritage Walk is conceived as a 1km walking loop that links a traditional Rajasthani settlement through agricultural dikes, fields and riverbank to the ancient village of Kucchpura and the heritage sites/structures of Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden), the Mughal aqueduct system, the Humayun Mosque and the Gyarah Sidi. Cornerstone of all CAP livelihood and sanitation initiatives relates to the tourism-based econom y. CAP target group includes both women and young people.


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Approach and Strategy CAP is designed as an inclusive program for urban poor communities (women and young people) and engages, mobilizes, organizes and empowers them to actively participate in the development of new, appropriate and sustainable livelihood pathways and community sanitation activities. CAP focus is on developing capacities of local bodies to engage with community groups with the objective of mainstreaming poor settlements with city systems and engage the private sector in the development initiative. Change in Approach: Sanitation intervention under CAP has required strategic changes to meet situational demand. This has been made possible by the deliberately flexible project design that has permitted CAP to explore a variety of routes to achieve project outcomes. Under CAP these changes were made mainly to address challenges from illegal tenure ownership, guidelines/restrictions on development around heritage monuments, presence of multiple agencies and a powerless ANN, a weak civil society, and high level of community dependence on free public services. Strategic changes undertaken in the project include: § Abbreviating the longer Heritage Trail of 4kms to the more manageable/well defined

MHW of 1km; § Deepening interventions in some settlements and limiting involvement in the remaining

to awareness building to ensure specific outcomes; § Livelihood interventions focusing on both skill building and product development to

ensure women earn threshold level incomes; § Giving up decentralized composting for regular waste disposal and toilet construction

due to difficulties in getting land tenure sanctions; and § Building a fully funded community toilet instead of small toilet units because of

resource availability. CAP has broadened interventions to address non-project objectives. Even as the project goal was to focus on just two key issues: solid waste management and livelihoods, other elements were added to the project in order to address community priorities such as a pre-school program and training of workers in pre-school education. i. Community Mobilization: Under CAP community groups have been mobilized for sanitation and livelihoods. Community groups discuss key priorities and develop a set of action ideas. Planning is largely ‘inside -out’ ensuring women are able to come out of conventional mind sets and think out of the box for solutions. ANN supports implementation of the community action plans such as for toilet construction. ii. Networking and Private Sector Alliances: Key partners and stakeholders in CAP are women and young people from selected urban settlements in the project area. CAP is implemented in partnership with the Agra Municipal Corporation (ANN) whose support has been both crucial and strategic to CAP. Other partners include the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), the Archeological Survey of India-Agra Division, India Tourism Department-Agra Division, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the private sector. T ourism Guild is a major partner and actor in CAP in promoting sustainable livelihoods, in particular the identification of tourism-based products/opportunities for micro enterprise based livelihoods and the operationalization of MHW. CAP is implemented with the active support of local NGOs such as


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SANKALP and citizens whose ground swell has helped CAP in building its local knowledge and establishing networks/partnerships. Sanitation and Solid Waste Management: Activities and Achievements As per the project design, CAP sanitation goal was primarily focused on addressing solid waste management concerns and creating awareness. However, over the project period, CAP turned its attention to other sanitation concerns of toilets and Wastewater drainage, working towards a total sanitation solution. Key sanitation achievements under CAP are reported below. i. Solid Waste Management and Wastewater Drainage: To improve SWM, CAP has facilitated Sanitation C ommittees, undertook community clean-up drives to clear away solid waste dumps, and set up door-to-door waste collection systems linked to regular waste disposal by ANN. D2D collection system was planned for KWK in partnership with traditional waste collectors, residents, local youth and ANN which has undertaken regular removal of waste and supplied waste collection equipment. CAP supported the repair of sanitation equipment to enable ANN sweepers to perform their roles and community clean-up campaigns to rid settlements of accumulated waste. Sanitation awareness campaigns were also organized in all project settlements with a view to change sanitation behavior, i.e., inappropriate waste disposal, including in drains, and reduction in open defecation and were supported by children from local schools. An organic drainage system linked to community Standposts was constructed in Marwari Bastee. ii. Toilets: C AP is supporting construction of a community toilet complex in Marwari Bastee with financial support from a local charity and building 5 household toilets in Kucchpura. CAP has facilitated a Toilet Savings Group to enable families to have access to lump sum capital for toilet construction. It has developed designs for rehabilitating community toilets in consultation with community women, local architects and students from the School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University (LMU). It is also enabling communities to access subsidies under government schemes for low-cost sanitation. ANN agreed to undertake the construction of a toilet complex in Yamuna Bridge subject to land sanction. Since toilets are seen as an important sanitation intervention, CURE developed proposals for and accessed resources for household toilet construction in Kucchpura and received funds for the Kucchpura Settlement Upgrading Project (KSUP). iii. Wastewater Drainage Systems: Under CAP an organic wastewater drainage system in Marwari Bastee has been developed and resources have been mobilized for setting up of a wastewater treatment system in Kucchpura. The latter has formed a part of CAP’s livelihood interventions for development of a Mughal Heritage Walk (MHW) as a business product to enable trained tour animators to derive sustainable livelihoods. The wastewater drainage system was planned in consultation with residents and linked to improvement of Standpost platforms. CAP provided the bricks and mortar and funds for labour and the community offered manual labor and oversight support. Physical changes have led to a reprioritization of community aspirations iv. Capacity Building of Agra Nagar Nigam : A Zero Waste Zone was set up at the ANN with the active support of the Municipal Commissioner, sanitation staff and a SWM consultant. Dustbins were provided in every room and desk with efficient system for waste collection and disposal. Notices were posted on walls and personal letters issued to staff to seek active cooperation. CAP put up information boards in public areas and ANN undertook cleaning up operations


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including toilets, repainting, polishing of banisters, washing off spit stains and placing additional spittoons and dustbins in hallways, etc. With support of Global Micro Enterprise Development (GMED), 150 sanitary staff of ANN was trained for improved and effective waste management techniques. CAP has organized a group of ANN and local sweepers providing services to Kucchpura households.

Livelihood Activities and Achievements i. Community Mobilization and Skill Development: CAP’s second key objective was to promote sustainable livelihoods for women and young people. CAP undertook an interactive and participatory value chain analysis to understand existing livelihood arrangements, scope out options linked to the city’s core economy, tourism, mobilized women into livelihood groups and set up an alliance with the private sector for developing tourism-based products. CAP supported women in developing product samples and orders, procuring raw materials, product costing, access to credit, setting up of bank accounts, delivery, fabrication space, and training in finance management/negotiating with clients. CAP also trained young boys as tour animators and has supported the formation of the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise (MHWE), a business group of 8 tour animators. It is now focusing on operationalizing the MHWE to enable the group to become sustainable. ii. Product Development: Towards promoting threshold level incomes CAP has widened the range of products, partnerships and is in the advanced stages of negotiation for long-term orders. It is working on building a Community-based tourism pro duct around the Mughal Heritage Walk and is enabling CAP trained tour animators to set up the MHWE with the support of a local NGO partner, SANKALP . CAP is also supporting the building up of the MHW as a Community-based tourism experience through physical improvements along the walk, developing the brand through production and distribution of advocacy material and merchandizing. A measured base map of Kucchpura has been prepared for planning the physical improvements, developing the cost estimates and engineering designs for renovation of roads, rehabilitation of drains, and design and development of the wastewater treatment system and toilets. A multi -purpose platform has been built in Marwari Bastee to serve as a break point for tourists and a display cart has been designed and developed by LMU students to display community handicrafts for sale. The Mughal story line, a brochure, scroll souvenir and multi-skill souvenir box have also been developed and distributed . Three souvenirs have been developed for tourists taking the MHW during the project period with the aim of improving livelihoods among the communities. CAP has established a Soochna Sansadhan Kendra in Kucchpura. Designed as a multi-purpose center it provides space to women for livelihood activities, and as an information centre for tourists to the MHW. Other agencies such as the ASI have been engaged in the dialogue on renovation and improvement of monuments. CAP is supporting ANN in setting up a Heritage Cell at the Corporation’s office. iii. Setting Up and Operating a Community Credit Fund Facility: A Community Credit Fund (CCF) facility has been set up to enable micro enterprise groups to access credit for setting up enterprises. CCF has provided credit assistance to the two women’s livelihood groups and includes interest-free credit to purchase raw material s for their products. On receiving payments the group s return in full the advances made under CCF. Credit assistance is also being provided for MHWE. CAP also has an exit plan that includ es transfer of the CCF management to the local community, with back stopping support to ensure that the facility is effectively managed.


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iv. Alliances with the Private Sector: Private sector participation has been critical to the implementation of CAP. T ourism Guild and the Tour Operators Association have been major allies of CAP and have supported identification and procurement of tourism-based livelihood products, capacity building and MHW advocacy. Over time, the number of clients, range of products and orders have increased towards building sustainable income for women groups’ members. Community-based Information System (CBIS): This is a bottom -up information system constructed from community data gathered through participatory processes comprising people’s perceptions and concerns, digitised on a Geographical Information System, a map-based platform. As part of CAP, a CBIS has been developed and customised for project settlements to serve as an instrument for monitoring slum upgrading. ANN Commissioner and team were oriented to the CBIS and its potential. At their request a citywide CBIS is being developed with CDS support. The CBIS has been documented as a best practice by the Metropolis Commission Five on Indicators, UNHABITAT. CURE presented the CBIS at the Third World Urban Forum in Vancouver and the Second South Asia Conference on Sanitation in Islamabad. Memorandum of Understanding with London Metropolitan University: A significant achievement under CAP has been the establishment of a formal partnership between the Department of Spatial Design (DASD), London Metropolitan University (LMU), and CURE for knowledge sharing and live architectural practice. Several other agencies have been engaged during the project such as UHRC for health interventio ns, World Bank, UNESCO and UNDP for tourism -based initiatives. Outputs/Impacts JNNURM is considering recognizing CAP as a heritage and tourism-based best practice under a new initiative/network of heritage cities. CAP has been invited to make presentations to partner cities on its community-based tourism model. Other key outcomes of the project have been: i. Empowerment: Un-empowered communities are now organized and strengthened and have capacity to address their own livelihood needs.

ii Mainstreaming : Project settlements are mainstreamed with city systems and city economy. Women derive incomes from tourism, the key city economy, and settlements are networked to ANN’s waste disposal systems. iii. Rise in Incomes: Women’s earnings have increased and they are now earning between Rs.75 and Rs.150 per day and have obtained employment for over 60 days at the enhanced earnings. iv. Improved Access to Basic Services: Sanitation activities have resulted in cleaner settlements and there is greater willingness and participation among communities to maintain clean environments through Door-to-door waste collection systems and to construct toilets in homes.


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v. ANN Takes on a Stewardship Role i n Slum Development: Critical capacity has been created in ANN to respond to needs of urban poor settlements and to engage with local civil society members to develop slum upgrading and sanitation projects under JNNURM. vi. Strengthened and Supportive Civil Society: Agra civil society is more cooperative and engages with local authorities in positive communication as a result of frequent exchanges and a p ro-active dialogue with them. SANKALP, a small tourism-based NGO, has been supported with skills and capacities for community mobilization and community-based development. Project Challenges Community sanitation and livelihood initiatives have been challenging, the reason being: § Sanitation is about behavior change and changing behavior requires a longer and

more intense effort for unlearning. § Successful sanitation interventions require a total sanitation approach covering all four

key areas of solid waste management, wastewater management, toilet provision and hygiene behavior change. CAP , that started by focusing on just two components, had to expand its design to address the remaining issues of toilets and wastewater.

§ Sanitation projects must be about physical infrastructure improvements. Community mobilization around sanitation must be reinforced by physical development.

§ Sanitation improvements require hardware and hardware requires huge resources that are generally available only with local government agencies that are also mandated to deliver sanitation services. ANN’s financial and technical capacity and clout are weak and hence it has been unable to access/spend/absorb resources for slum infrastructure development. Besides, all functions under the 74th CAA are yet to be transferred to it further eroding their authority.

§ Multiple agencies without clear lines of control have meant confused/overlapping responsibilities, low institutional commitment to development of basic infrastructure services in slums, and a shirking of responsibilities that result in systemic exclusion.

§ Lack of clear cut policy on land tenure has also led to exclusion of poor communities. § Poor track record of working with the private sector has affected ANN’s PPP initiatives

and for garnering their support for city development. § Livelihoods process requires considerable hand holding and it is difficult to scale up

very quickly. Lessons Learned Key lessons under CAP have been: § Working in partnership with the Government is key to sustainability. § Community inclusion is criti cal for improved basic services. § Urban sanitation needs hardware and citywide planning. § Exposure to good practices has greater impact than other forms of knowledge sharing. § People at the bottom of the pyramid are important actors in building the city economy

and c an work with the private sector. § In scaling up developmental planning, there is no leapfrogging over participatory

processes. § Working with local institutions is critical for success. § In a multi-agency environment, mechanisms for cooperation must be developed.


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Sustainability CAP has received additional resources from USAID and Cities Alliance to deepen and widen its scope /develop a strategy for roll-out on a citywide basis, as follows:

• Kachhpura Settlement Upgrading Program (KSUP) for sanitation improvements along the MHW, in particular in Kachhpura village (construction of household toilets, improvement of drains and pathways and setting up of a wastewater treatment system.

• City Development Strategy (CDS) for provision of technical assistance to the city government to implement JNNURM.

• Cross -sectoral Youth Program (CSYP) to improve access of young people to livelihoods/create assets that will enable them to participate in community/city development initiatives and replicate the existing livelihood initiatives.

Local capacity within the ANN and the Agra civil society has been enhanced for sustainability. Women have been empowered to engage with clients and long-term orders will ensure they continue to get an income. CAP is providing technical assistance to the ANN to address slum issues under JNNURM.


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1. Project Background The Crosscutting Agra Program (CAP) was initiated in August 2005 with the support of the Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN) and USAID with the aim of improving sanitation in selected low -income communities and enhancing livelihoods for young people and women. The Crosscutting Program (CAP) is an alliance among four USAID departments (Social Development; Population, Health and Nutrition; Energy, Environment and Enterprise; and Economic Growth) that committed developm ent assistance to address cross-sectoral concerns of women and young people from urban po or communities. The Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE), a development NGO working in the urban sector, was identified to facilitate the process of community mobilization for improved sanitation and sustainable livelihoods in selected slum communities in the city. Financial support from FIRE (D-III) was initially targeted to improving community sanitation, in particular solid waste management, with networking support from the ANN. From October 2006, FIRE (D-III) resources were also available for sustaining the community mobilization and livelihoods initiatives started with financial assistance from Chemonix. This report is about the sanitation interventions supported under USAID’s FIRE (D-III) project between August 2005 and April 2007 and li velihood interventions from November 2006 to April 2007. 2. Project Context City sanitation in Agra is an area of key concern and citizen priority. Despite numerous previous interventions, Agra continues to have only partial coverage for underground sewerage, inappropriate wastewater drainage systems, and an inefficient/ineffective solid waste collection and disposal mechanism , problems that are influencing the health and well-being of its citizens and threatening its core economy, tourism. Slums in particular are extremely vulnerable due to little or no access to municipal services, especially for solid waste management, surface water drainage or toilets, resulting in highly unsanitary living environments and deepening the health/poverty burden of the poor.

Box 1: Agra-The Fact Sheet Agra is one of the fastest growing Indian cities with a projected population of 2.27 million in 2011. Being a tourist city, its gross density often exceeds 9043 persons per square kilometer (CDP, 2006) which overstresses its resources. Literacy rate in Agra is low (64.97%) with a substantial gender gap (20% points). In spite of huge economic potential from tourism, Agra city has not been able to fully exploit the potential.

Census 2001 estimated 0.12 million slum dwellers, i.e., 9.67% of the total city population. UHRC, 2004, however, estimates up to 50% of current population or 0 .8 million living in low -income slum like settlements. Numbers of slums/low-income settlements were 252 (DUDA 2001). Recent surveys by CURE under CDS have counted 382 slum areas in Agra.

Population (2001) : 1.27 million Growth Rate: 41.14% (decennial) Population Density: 897 per sq km Sex Ratio: 852 females per thousand males Slums in City: 393 Official S lum Population: 9.67% EHP Estimates of Slum Population: 50% Wards: 90 Revenue Zones: 8


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The Agra Municipal Corporation or Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN), the urban local body responsible for supply of some sanitation services (solid waste disposal and wastewater drainage), has scarce financial resources and technical capacity to plan and implement a citywide/total sanitation initiative and largely excludes slum communities from its systems. Poor communities are the last to be serviced due to their illegal tenure, low affordability and lack of voice. Ineffective service delivery over time has eroded citizen confidence in the Corporation’s capacity to provide efficient services for solid waste management and there is unwillingness to participate in / pay for service improvements across all socio-economic groups. Agra civil society is underdeveloped and un-empowered and lacks capacity to motivate and mobilize poor communities for participation in planning and oversight of the city’s sanitation initiatives. Agra has three world heritage sites. It also has over 2000 big and small monuments that are not very well known. Slum dwellers/low -income settlements living in the shadow of these monuments rarely derive any income benefits from tourism to these sites and are not inclined to conserve them . They thus remain outside mainstream development. In particular, women, young people and children work in informal employment in the most exploitative conditions. Besides tourism, Agra also has sizeable iron and foundry, shoe making and peetha (sweet meat) industries that provide the poor with employment. Stricter laws on pollution and commercial activities around key monuments have resulted in closure/shifting of these units to the city’s fringes, adversely influencing livelihoods of the poor and disaffecting the youth. Recognizing the potential value of Agra and its urban development challenge, USAID has offered technical assistance to the city to address specific sanitation and livelihood concerns. CAP is a pilot project aimed at demonstrating processes of community inclusion in planning for improved sanitation and urban livelihoods. 3. Objectives The CAP aims at engaging youth and women from disadvantaged communities with a view to address issues of livelihoods, sanitation and environment improvement in selected low-income settlements in the city. The overall project goal was to develop a livelihood and slum upgrading pilot program around a heritage trail of lesser-known monuments in Agra. Specifically, CAP aimed at: § Mobilizing and organizing low-income communities , in particular women and young

people, to participate in the planning and implementation of sanitation and livelihood services.

§ Developing a Mughal Heritage T rail around a cluster of lesser-known monuments in the city with a view to enhance tourism-based livelihood opportunities .

§ Improve environmental conditions in communities through better practices for solid waste management in partnership with local agencies.

§ Mobilizing private sector, civil society and local agencies to participate in livelihood and sanitation-based initiatives.

§ Developing skills among women and young people for livelihoods around Heritage Tourism, broadening the range of livelihood options available and improving their access to credit through the setting up of a c ommunity credit facility.


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§ Developing a Community-based Information System (CBIS) for improving the effectiveness of targeting in poverty alleviation programs.

Three specific objectives were determined for the sanitation component. These included: § Impro ving systems for solid waste collection and disposal in the selected low-income

communities, the Heritage Trail and the Corporation office areas. § Strengthening capacities of poor people to participate in community sanitation

initiatives through a process of community mobilization and organization . § Network with private sector agencies and other stakeholders for sanitation linked

improvements around the Heritage Trail. 4. Project Scope CAP is designed around a Heritage Trail of four lesser-known monuments in Agra: the Ram Bagh, Chinni ka Rauza, Itmat-ud-Daulah and the Mehtab Bagh across from the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, on the other side of River Yamuna and linked to them by an over-bridge; and five slum communities in their neighborhood: Katra Wazir Khan, Marwari Bastee, Kachhpura, Nagla Devjeet and Yamuna Bridge.

Figure 1: Agra and the Mughal Heritage Walk

Over time, the scope of the project and target population have been rearranged and sharpened to focus on explicit outcomes. The longer Heritage Trail (4kms) has been compacted to a smaller/more manageable Mughal Heritage Walk (MHW) (Box 2). Several new monuments have been included in the MHW (Gyarah Sidi, Humayun’s Mosque, the Mughal aquifers), whereas Ram Bagh at the start of the Trail and Itmat-ud-Daulah have been skipped. Engagement in three low -income settlements, viz., Kucchpura, Katra Wazir Khan (KWK) and Marwari Bastee (MB) has been deepened and lessened in Nagladevjeet and Yamuna Bridge areas due to a slow city response to the demands of the community and difficulty in sustaining interventions in a short project period .


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Tourism, the main economy of Agra, became the cornerstone of all CAP livelihood and sanitation initiatives, the overall goal being to link poor residents to their heritage and mainstream development. Box 2: The Mughal Heritage Walk

CAP target group includes both women and young people. Due to the high incidence of child labor and non-school going children in these settlements, the scope has been broadened to include children and to develop their interest in learning and encouraging parents to send them to regular school.

5. Approach and Strategy CAP aimed at building a youth and women-oriented, livelihood and slum development program around a heritage trail of a few lesser -known monuments, through a process of inclusion and partnership building. I t was designed to strengthen the capacity of poor communities by mobilizing, organizing and enabling them to negotiate for their entitlements and to influence planning and decision-making processes through better articulation of their needs in city planning systems. CAP aimed to demonstrate a successful model of pro-poor urban development with private sector participation in the city capable of being replicated under the Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The approach and strategy in achieving the CAP objectives is described below.

5.1 Building Partnerships and Networks CAP is a partnership between the Agra Municipal Corporation, i.e., Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN), USAID, the private sector (Tourism Guild), the Agra civil society and organizations of urban poor communities (CBOs). Partnerships have been broadened to include other local agencies and stakeholders critical for the successful achieving of project objectives and deepening the scope of its interventions. It has built strong alliances with the private sector and civil society groups with a focus on advocating the concerns of poor communities and creating space for interactions between representatives of the poor communities and the local bodies.

The MHW has been conceived as a 1km walking loop that links the traditional Rajasthani settlement (Marwari Bastee ) through agricultural dikes, fields and the riverbank to the ancient village of Kucchpura and the heritage sites/structures of Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden), the Mughal aqueduct system, the Humayun Mosque and the Gyarah Sidi.


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Organized and empowered groups of women/local communities are encouraged to interact with local government agencies for improved access to municipal services. The objective is to facilitate positive communication. At the ANN level, a senior government official (Executive Engineer) has been identified as nodal officer to facilitate service delivery in the community. Dialogue between different line agencies with overlapping responsibilities and controls has been initiated with the objective of developing a more comprehensive and effective service delivery model.

5.2 Change in Approach Sanitation intervention s under CAP often required changes in strategy to meet the situational demand. This has been made possible by the openness and flexibility of the project design itself that permitted CAP to explore a variety of routes to achieve project outcomes and fit in with ground reality. The project being primarily process oriented activities were not preset, rather they were decided in consultation with the communities themselves. Strategic changes made in the course of project implementation were due mainly to issues of land ownership, guidelines/restrictions on development around heritage monuments, presence of multiple agencies and a powerless ANN, a weak civil society, and high level of community dependence on free public services. Strategic changes were also undertaken after a mid-review assessment. The appraisal was useful as it helped the project to delimit its activities, sharpen focus and agree upon a set of concrete deliverables. The following strategic changes were made during the project period: From Heritage Trail to the Heritage Walk The longer Heritage Trail stretching over 4 kms envisaged at the start of the project was abbreviated to the more manageable/well defined Mughal Heritage Walk covering a length of about 1km. This was done after the review revealed that CAP should help develop a product for promoting sustainable livelihoods. Sharper Focus: Exiting from Two Settlements It was decided to reduce interventions in two project areas where community mobilization was slow/became more challenging due to non-responsive authorities. This allowed CAP to deepen its interventions in the remaining three project settlements and limit its involvement in the remaining two to advocacy and awareness activities. From Skills to Generating Incomes Livelihood interventions in the project were largely aimed at building skills among women and young people for micro enterprises and livelihoods. Mid-way into the project it was felt that skill building alone may not result in enhanced livelihoods. The focus was therefore shifted to development of products that would enable women to earn sustainable income. Land Tenure: A Key Stumbling Block Land tenure has proved to be a major hurdle in project implementation, in partic ular where land belongs to the State. Decentralized waste management processes had to be abandoned in


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favor of regular waste disposal from communities and linking settlements to city clearance systems, because of restrictions on digging and building permanent structures within 100 meters of protected monuments. Similarly, composting plans (both pit and barrel based) had to be discarded due to land ownership issues. Other reasons included low quantity of organic waste generation in the community, the bulk of which was given to animal owners; private land owners unwilling to cooperate and allow a composting site to be developed; and limited understanding of community participation among the civil society of Agra. Toilet construction in Yamuna Bridge area too was dropped owing to lack of response of the District authorities in releasing land to ANN for construction, and ANN’s powerlessness to get the land sanctioned from the State authorities. Not only did CAP drop the plans but also decided to reduce active intervention in the area faced by a dispirited community. Ideological Differences Shared construction of small toilet units in MB was abandoned in favor of a fully funded community toilet complex by a local charity. CAP has plans to exit the community altogether as the local charity is now distributing free of cost food in the area. This is also due to an ideological difference in the empowerment-based approach of CURE and the dependence creating approach of the religious charity. Broadening Interventions to Address Non-project Objectives Even as the project was focused on two key issues: solid waste management and livelihoods, several other elements were added to the project in order to address community priorities. MB had nearly all children out of school. Community interest in schooling was low. CAP believed that it had a responsibility to improve the education status of children in the area and to bring about a change in community perceptions. It decided to set up a pre-school centre in the settlement out of the small bridging grant. The school was set up as a fee-paying school to ensure parental commitment to child learning. The school worker was provided honorarium under the project to top up the fee collected and was trained at the Resource Centre for Early Childhood Education in IIT Delhi. The worker, Meera has completed her training and has been awarded a certificate and about 25 children attend school regularly. The pre-school was built outside the settlement due to an indifferent community and run there for nearly a year till community elders, buoyed by two children joining regular school and child enthusiasm, requested that the pre-school be brought within the settlement boundaries. At the request of the community a pl atform has been constructed which serves as space for the pre-school. The platform designs described later (Section 9.2.2, iii) have been developed for child learning and with participation of children in developing the imprints.


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5.3 Community Mobilization and Organization CAP is designed as an inclusive program for urban poor communities . Community members, in particular women and young people, are engage d, mobilize d, organized and empowered to actively participate in the development of new, appropriate and sustainable livelihood pathways and community sanitation and improvement activities. Women and young people are organized into savings, livelihoods and sanitation groups to better focus on and oversee activity implementation in the settlements (Box 3) Box 3: Community Mobilization and Organization Community engagement began with small-group/street corner meetings during walks through the settlement and discussions with informal community leaders. Entry was gentle and supported by a local NGO. The aim was to build rapport, introduce CAP’s purpose, identify field facilitators and make a rapid assessment of key community concerns. Eight young boys and women, who volunteered to be part of the CAP team and were oriented in the use of various PLA tools and supported by CURE trainers/supervisors, gathered ground evidence and community perceptions of problems. Sanitation and livelihood concerns were further identified through focus group discussions with women and young people. Discussions helped to develop the road map for community sanitation and livelihood activities. These were also used to encourage new leadership around these issues and for formation of small and large groups of community women. Sanitation groups were larger, mixed and had representatives from different parts of the community. Separate groups were encouraged where the settlements were large or divided based on topography or caste. Livelihood groups comprised a smaller number of women with expressed interest in income generation. Livelihood groups were strengthened through development of their core competencies in harmony with the local economy, private sector demand and women’s needs for home-based occupation. Focus was on the development of micro enterprises and building threshold level incomes and , therefore , covered business management skills and access to credit through establishment of a Community Credit Fund. Self-help groups were also facilitated in the community to encourage savings and access to small credit. Participatory tools are used in the facilitation processes and to gather data to inform decision-making. A team of facilitators has been identified from the communities and trained to engage people and enable them to identify priorities and develop community-level action plans for area improvement based on an analysis of their needs (Box 4).

5.4 Capacity Development The strategy under CAP has been to develop capacities, both among local community groups and within the local bodies. At the community-level, focus is on appropriate sanitation


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behavior /practices and skills for new and sustainable livelihoods. At the institutional level, capacity building is targeted at local field functionaries and senior officials with the objective of better planning and managing services in slum and poor communities. Experience exchange visits, meetings, training workshops and small-group discussions have been used for developing institutional capacity. Capacity building efforts have also included NGO partners with a view to sustain the processes as an exit plan.

5.5 Mainstreaming and Sustainability An approach within CAP has been to mainstream low-income settlements with city systems to ensure continuity of operations. Sustainability has also been ensured through institutional arrangements linked to capacity development. Sustainability has also been the cornerstone for all livelihood activities that have been linked to the city economy, market demand and matched with people’s skills and requirements. The attempt has also been to demonstrate a Community-based-participatory model for slum upgrading, which can easily be synergized with the JNNURM , guaranteeing availability of bulk resources for taking participatory upgrading to scale. Sustainable strategies have also included integration with other development initiatives in the city, i.e., City Development Strategy (CDS), Cross Sectoral Youth Program (CSYP), and Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC) (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Linkages with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission

CDP Policies, Programs, Strategies, and Financing Plans

DPR Release/Leveraging Funds

JNNURM Integrated, planned and sustainable urban infrastructure development with reforms for improved governance; in particular improving access to basic services for the poor with security of tenure, housing and social services

CAP Demonstrable Pro poor Project

CDS


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Urban Poor Communities

Agra Civil Society SANKALP, Maneco, Sparsh,

CARE-Agra

Agra Nagar Nigam

Private Sector (Tourism Guild)

Other Local Agencies

DUDA ASI

India Tourism CPCB DIC

6. Networking and Private Sector Alliances Alliances and partnerships have been the cornerstone in CAP implementation. Alliances have been forged with a broad range of local government agencies, the private sector and Agra civil society and local NGOs (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Alliances and Partnerships

6.1 Community-based Organizations of Poor People Key partners and stakeholders in CAP are the women and young people from selected urban settlements in the project. They are providing new community leadership , are responsible for discussion on needs and priorities, and participate in the planning and design workshops for sanitation and livelihood activities.

6.2 Local Government Agencies ANN: CAP is implemented in partnership with the Agra Municipal Corporation (ANN). Over the project period, several other agencies have been included in the project based on demand. Support of ANN has been both crucial and strategic to CAP . Besides making available office space, ANN is fully supporting ground-level activities and facilitating CAPs interactions with other government agencies, both formally and informally.

A Project Steering Committee constituted under the chairpersonship of the Divisional Commissioner , with ANN Municipal Commissioner as Member Secretary and representation of all line departments, met twice during the project period.

ANN is also providing vital leadership to C AP as it is broadening and deepening. Its propos al to Cities Alliance to prepare a City Development Strategy (CDS) with support of CAP is approved and is being used to prepare detailed implementation plans under JNNURM . CAP has supported ANN to set up 9 Task Forces in key areas of city concerns. Two Task Forces: Urban Poverty and Local Economic Development, met in April to develop better insight to key sectoral issues and develop the vision and road map for the city.


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ANN is actively engaged in implementation of CAP activities: solid waste collection and disposal , provision of sanitation equipment, cleanliness drives; etc. Its engineers visit project sites to assess problems and suggest solutions.

ANN is also helping advocate CAP to other project partners/stakeholders. Some of the emerging partnerships are described below.

District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) has become a key partner agency, in particular for increasing access of poor communities to toilet finances and implementation of the CDS process. DUDA is responsible for the implementation of all urban poverty alleviation schemes of the Government. CAP has engaged DUDA over the issue of toilet subsidies to low-income families. Technical assistance is being provided to DUDA to develop the evidence base on slums and municipal services therein. DUDA has participated in the development of the tools and data reviews. DUDA has also agreed in principle to CAP technical assistance for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report for Kucchpura under JNNURM.

Archeological Survey of India-Agra Division has engaged with CAP over the development of the MHW. ASI assisted C AP in the review and validation of monument information for MHW brochures. ASI ground-level staff participated in a mock heritage walk on 7th August, followed by discussions over the development of the MHW, including setting up of a wastewater treatment system for Kucchpura. The Wastewater system is to be built under the Kuc chpura Settlement Upgrading Project (KSUP). CAP efforts have led to greater visibility of the lesser-known monuments included in the MHW. Restoration work is underway in four of these monuments: Humayun’s Mosque, Giyarah Sidi, Chini Ka Rauza and the Ram Bagh. ASI has agreed to the construction of a pathway connecting Gyarah Sidi to the main road. It was also the first time that a non-ticketed monument, Chini Ka Rauza, was included in Agra Heritage Day celebrations by ASI. Residents from Katra Wazir Khan actively participated in the event and also won prizes in the elocution contest.


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India Tourism Department-Agra Division has supported CAP livelihood activities, in particular in the grooming of tour animators being associated under the MHWE for its Incredible India promotion strategy. Tour animators participate in these projects and set up stalls at tourism events such as Tourism Day and World Heritage Day. India Tourism has committed to a second reprinting of the MHW brochure and to its distribution, thereby advocating the MHW both nationally and internationally. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has supported sustainable livelihood activities by purchasing bags from the livelihood group facilitated under CAP . Department of Industries provided CAP livelihood groups the opportunity of displaying their products at a free of cost stall in the Small Micro Enterprise/Cottage Industries Fair organized by the Ministry of Small Scale and Cottage Industries, GOI, Government of UP National Small Industries Corporation, KVIC and SIDO at Kothi Meena Bazaar, Shahganj, and Agra. The linkage was an outcome of the CDS Task Force meeting on Local Economic Development. State Department of Urban Development is the nodal agency for all urban development initiatives in the state. CAP has kept the state department informed through meetings and sharing of material with the Secretary, Urban Development, at Lucknow. The State was also represented at the Lessons Learnt Workshop in Agra in April 2007. Other agencies that have provided tacit support to CAP by participating in its meetings have included ADA, UP Tourism, and Department of Education and Health .

6.3 Private Sector Tourism Guild is a major partner and actor in CAP, in particular for promoting sustainable livelihoods. Its cooperation was guaranteed prior to project implementation through a formal letter of association between the Tourism Guild and USAID and has continued. Partnership with the Tourism Guild has helped CAP better its understanding of the local tourism industry and its operations and identify tourism-based products/opportunities for livelihoods both for micro enterprise and employment. Tourism Guild has been critical in the operationalization of MHW and the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise (MHWE). It has provided critical inputs on tour animator grooming, MHW advocacy and setting up of a Heritage Cell in the ANN. Links have been established with its support to tour agencies outside Agra as well . Other private sector economies in the city include the shoe industry, the Petha industry, and iron and foundry industry. Interactions were held at the start of the project with these businesses to assess the possibilities of working with these groups. However, due to time limitations it was not possible to pursue these linkages further. CAP has now additional funds under the Cross-Sectoral Youth Programme (CSYP) to take the dialogue further .

6.4 Civil Society Organizations

CAP is implemented with the active support of local NGOs whose support has helped CAP in building its local knowledge and establishing networks/partnerships.


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SANKALP, a tourism-based NGO, has been an important partner in project implementation, and has been mainly responsible for training of tour animators, facilitating setting up of the MHWE and engaging ANN in a dialogue over the setting up of the Heritage Cell. SANKALP capacity has been strengthened through CAP processes. The NGO has grown from a small unknown organization to an agency that is now actively sought for local field studies. CAP has assisted SANKALP in its CBO exchange program with the Jal Sansthan (Water Board) and in providing linkages to other agencies . Maneco has assisted CAP in community mobilization and information collection, and establishing contact with local government agencies. SPARSH and CARE-Agra has assisted CAP in community awareness activities such as organi zation of street plays, campaigns, youth awareness on reproductive health and life skill development. They have also assisted CAP in undertaking formal slum surveys and baseline exercises. Civil society groups that have been engaged with over the project period have included the Rotary, Lions and the Jain Mahasabha. Proposals for supporting livelihood and sanitation interventions were submitted to these organizations but could not be pursued. These alliances will be strengthened under CSYP. Several individuals have facilitated CAP activities. Of these, Dr. Simon has provided funds for construction of community toilets and baths in Marwari Bastee.

Civil society engagement in the project has been fostered from the very inception, and during the stakeholder mapping process used in designing CAP. Stakeholder mapping was used to develop an NGO inventory. This was followed by individual interactions with local NGOs, a stakeholder workshop that helped start the dialogue between the civil society and CAP , followed by an inception workshop to share findings of the initial community PLA studies, review the project framework and validate project objectives and approach. A field visit to Ahmedabad helped to strengthen the engagement.

6.5 Media Support Although not actively sought after, positive media coverage of project activities has helped to develop greater awareness about the project in the city. Media coverage both in the print and local TV has helped draw attention to the various events and activities in CAP. 7. Project Baseline It was decided to establish a project baseline using a set of key sanitation indicators. Data was generated through participatory tools such as resource and household mapping, chapatti diagrams, seeds technique and trends analysis. Brief descriptions of the tools are in Box 4. Data generated provides both a quantitative and qualitative assessment of a community’s sanitation situation and arrangements.


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Box 4 Participatory Tools for Information Collection and Community Mobilization

a. Community Resource Maps Community resource maps were developed to identify and locate municipal services in the settlements (water supply, toilets, municipal solid waste dumps, drains, etc.) and to understand problems with respect to access and availability. While resource maps helped generate data around services, they also served as discussion starters with the community on sanitation concerns. Resource maps were prepared for all five project communities. b. Household Maps Household maps were developed in small-group/lane-based meetings to get a broad understanding of sanitation facilities at the household level. Quantitative data was generated related to demographics with a view to profile the community. Data generated through household maps was digitized and linked to a Community Based Information System. c. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) Focus groups discussions accompanied household and community resource mapping exercises. They helped generate extensive information on the problems, people’s perceptions of service quality, expectations from local authorities and willingness to participate in the project, etc. These were later also used to facilitate group interactions, prioritize community problems and develop community-level action plans d. Trend Analysis Trend analysis was used for mapping the history of municipal interventions in settlements and was used for identification of service gaps and understanding community demand. e. Seeds Technique Seeds technique was used to quantify qualitative information and to set the project baseline .


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Household maps were used to generate data on five key indicators: § Number of family members by age and sex § Education status of children (school going, drop outs, working) § Toilets and water connections in the house § System for household waste disposal

Table 1 gives a summary baseline status for the project.

Table 1: Baseline of Selected Communities under CAP

Total number of households and population covered under CAP is 1448 and 8190, respectively. Yamuna Bridge population is not added to the total. Even as there was significant success in community mobilization for building toilets in Yamuna Bridge (Box 5) early on in the project, CAP cut down its intervention here due to a delay in obtaining land sanction for construction of a community toilet as per public demand and consequent loss of interest among the community members to engage with CAP. Access to toilets varies from none to 54% for an in-house facility and 1.96% for community services. For other municipal services, i.e., solid waste collection and in -house municipal water supply, access varies from none to 52 %. Of all private toilets just 3-4% had a pit or septic tank; the remaining opened directly into the community/wastewater drain adding to the environmental hazards in the area. Nearly all community toilets are dysfunctional, except for one in KWK. Community toilets have collapsed septic tanks, burnt out motors, broken down doors and windows, etc. Door-to-door waste collection ranges between 25 and 80% in the project areas through private arrangements. Others self dispose waste in open plots or drains. Waste collected through Door-to-door collection is dumped in open spaces by waste collectors and frequency of removal by ANN is erratic.

Community Total Number of Households

Total Population

Number of Children (0-5 years)

HH Toilets HH with Private Water Connection

HH Waste Collection System

Boys Girls Septic Tank

Outfall in Drain

Katra Wazir Khan

612 3300 371 332 331 12 320 416

Kucchpura (Nai Bastee and Purani Bastee)

436

2290

275 197 26 56 381 400

Nagladevjeet 300 1800 152 106 5 26 97 92

Marwari Bastee

100 900 27 24 0 0 0 0

Total 1448 8190 825 659 362 94 798 960


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Marwari Bastee is the most disadvantaged of all settlements, with no access to municipal services except for community water supply. Community waste is being dumped in the open across the settlement. Nearly all children in the settlement were out of school.

8. Community Mobilization Under CAP community groups have been mobilized for sanitation and solid waste management improvements. Community sanitation groups discussed key sanitation priorities related to solid waste disposal, toilets and wastewater drainage and developed a set of sanitation action ideas (Table 2). The strategy for planning used was inclusive and ‘inside-out’ (See Box 5 for details). Box 5: Planning from Inside-Out Planning from ‘inside-out’ takes women out of conventional mind sets to thinking out of the box. Discussions on toilets in Yamuna Bridge best demonstrate the strategy used. After Yamuna Bridge women raised a demand for a community toilet, CAP started discussions with the women in the area to identify appropriate space for the proposed toilet. Women recommended a space closer to homes of the poor families whereas ANN officials suggested space at the entry of the community. Dialogue between the two helped settle on land closer to toilet-less homes to improve utilization. At first design discussions with women typically pieced together a conventional model based on numbers of units by gender. In order to get women to think out of the box, it was decided to generate a wish list of small requirements inside toilets and bathing areas. Warming up to the design women asked for ledges fo r soaps, hooks for clothes, clothes guards around water taps, dustbins, and advanced into more fundamental needs for open and visible toilets for children, washing areas organized for social capital building, security and safety for young girls and children. Their ideas were integrated into a formal, measured toilet design and submitted to ANN for contract tendering. ANN agreed to pay for the toilet construction even as women agreed to oversee the process of construction and set up a community management system with user costs, collection plans, O&M arrangements, etc. ANN agreed to include in the tender clauses for community youth employment in the construction activity. ANN officials measured the site and examined land ownership issues. Sinc e the identifi ed site was State-owned, women were mobilized to prepare and submit a joint application for release of land for the toilet block. At the time of closure, District Authorities have yet to give approval.

Based on these discussions, a set of action plans emerged for each of the project communities to be developed further during the project period.


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Table 2: Key Community Concerns

Project Settlement and Sanitation Priority Implementation Strategy Katra Wazir Khan SWM for a cleaner community Community toilet revival

Clean-up drives Awareness campaigns D2D collection system Decentralized composting

Kucchpura Clean-up drives Awareness campaigns Community sanitation oversight groups Improved behavior practices

Improved systems for wastewater drainage Household toilets

SWM Community toilet revival Wastewater drainage

Note: Additional resources have been accessed for building a primary wastewater treatment system and household toilets under the KSUP

Marwari Bastee Wastewater drainage Community toilet

Elementary wastewater drainage system Community toilet

Nagladevjeet SWM

Clean-up drives Awareness campaigns

Yamuna Bridge Community toilet

Planning for community toilet


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9. Project Interventions

9.1 Activities and Achievements under Solid Waste Management and Sanitation

As per the project design, CAP’s sanitation goal was primarily focused on addressing solid waste management concerns and creating awareness. However, over the project period, CAP turned its attention to other sanitation concerns of toilets and wastewater drainage, working towards a total sanitation solution. Key sanitation achievements under CAP are reported in Table 3.

Table 3: Key Sanitation Achievements

Sanitation committees formed in Kucchpura and KWK Community clean -up drives in all settlements twice during project period Door-to-door waste collection extended from 67% to 80% in KWK Door-to-door waste collection efficiency improved in Kuc chpura Solid waste dump at base of Chini Ka Rauza cleared by youth for cricketing event followed by greening Solid waste dump cleared in Nagladevjeet Regular waste disposal by ANN from settlements of KWK, Kucchpura and Nagladevjeet Additional waste bins provided in Kucchpura and KWK

Solid Waste Management

Federation of ANN sweepers for Heritage Trail area for improved SWM Community toilet with 3 units for men, 3 units for women and 6 baths constructed with financial support of local charity in Marwari Bastee YB toilet design completed and submitted to ANN for construction tender Funds for 5 household toilets raised under KSUP for Kucchpura

Toilets

KWK toilet examined by civil engineer to identify key problems Wastewater Drainage

Marwari Bastee provided an organic drainage system linked to community standposts

9.1.1. Solid Waste Management

Key sanitation problems in the community related to:

§ Indiscriminate waste dumping and waste accumulation within the settlements due to an ineffective waste collection and disposal system , and

§ Ad hoc system for waste collection from homes by private sweepers with waste dumped in open spaces in the settlement.

CAP decided to focus on improving waste collection efficiency by networking with existing ANN systems for waste disposal and transportation. As a start, CAP improved its understanding of existing waste disposal arrangements. It organized resident meetings in different parts of each

Sanitation is a key city priority, identified in a pre-project community stakeholder assessment undertaken by CURE in December 2004. Project design was aimed at addressing sanitation concerns in low-income settlements. Two limited sanitation objectives under CAP are: solid waste management and access to toilets.


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neighborhood for broad-based community engagement and buy-in. Individual strategies were worked out for each community. C AP was assisted in the strategic planning by FIRE (D-III).

i. Door-to-door (D2D) Waste Collection

A D2D collection system was planned for KWK. C AP facilitated a partnership between traditional waste collectors, residents, local youth and the ANN. Traditional waste collectors were seen as critical to the success of the venture. Sweeper meetings were planned to understand their outreach and problems of collection and disposal. CAP has engaged with eight sweepers in KWK to extend outreach under the system . Equipment, i.e., hand carts with wheels, were provided to sweepers for easy collection and transportation to designated disposal sites. Old households were to continue payment in cash or kind as per their existing arrangement with new households encouraged to be part of the system. CAP provided an additional honorarium of Rs.60 per month per sweeper as incentive to ensure regular collection and disposal at the designated sites for the first six months . While ensuring sustainability, it was also seen as a risk cover in case new users did not pay up. Households that were unwilling to contribute were encouraged to dispose of waste in the designated sites. In Kucchpura, C AP supported repair of five hand carts for ANN sweepers deployed in Kucchpura .

The D2D waste collection system now reaches nearly 80% of KWK, an increase in coverage by 10-12%. Residents who self-dispose waste do it at the designated site. The designated si te was shifted from being at the entrance to the settlement to the rear end, albeit at the edge of the river. From here the ANN regularly removes waste. ANN also supplied large drums for waste collection and five handcarts. Residents have submitted an application to ANN to place additional bins in the area to ensure sufficient numbers as per community requirement. In Kucchpura, nearly 70% of the settlement is covered by door-to-door waste collection.

ii. Community Clean -Ups

In the other settlements, SWM activities were limited to one-time community clean -up campaigns linked to regular waste disposal and awareness creation. Through the campaigns, settlements were able to get rid of large mounds of accumulated waste. The community clean-up drives were organized in partnership with the ANN.

In Kucchpura and Katra Wazir Khan, community clean-ups have been sustained through a partnership with ANN sanitation teams, who have supported regular cleaning and waste removal from the areas. ANN has also ensured regular drain cleaning and road sweeping in the two settlements. The last campaign was inaugurated by the Mayor herself. In recognition of the contribution of the area sweepers, a lunch box was gifted to them from CAP.


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iii. The Cricket Match

An event that led to significant improvements in community sanitation was the cricket meet organized for young people (Box 6). This was conceived of in the early phases of the D2D collection system, as a means to counteract households slipping into habitual ways of disposal by throwing waste into open areas.

Box 6: Recreation for Youth Forms: An Entry Point for Environmental Improvement

Katra Wazir Khan generates large amounts of waste. Most of this was dumped in an open plot of land sandwiched between the settlement and the monument Chini Ka Roza. Building on young people’s passion for cricket, CAP arranged an inter-community cricket tournament and mobilized youth to clean-up the ground. Young boys in association with three community sweepers helped clean-up the ground. ANN supported the effort by lifting the waste and carrying it away to the city landfill. Players contributed resources for the clean-up and CAP

supplied the trophy and helped with the logistics and media advocacy. Local elected councilors participated in the event and gave away the prizes. Post Script: CAP later discovered that the land was on government lease to a

private owner , but due to encroachments by the local community was unable to use the space for a plant nursery. He seized the opportunity of the clean-up and fenced off the cleared up ground to set up the nursery. While this has ensured the area now remains permanently green and aesthetic, young cricketers became highly de-motivated

KWK residents enjoying the match in a cleaner environment


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iv. Awareness Campaigns

Sanitation awareness campaigns were organized in all project settlements with a view to change sanitation behavior, i.e., inappropriate waste disposal in drains and reduction in open defecation. The campaigns were supported by children from local schools and from the CAP pre-school in Marwari Bastee. As part of the campaign, prabhat pheris (settlement walks) with slogan shouting, posters and wall writings, were organized. These were followed by street plays, demonstrations of decentralized composting systems and painting competitions for children. The last two campaigns in Katra Wazir Khan and Kucchpura were organized at the request of the residents and school children. CAP supported the campaigns with banners, posters and logistic support, and the school children actively led them.


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Box 7: Solid Waste M anagement Challenge

Decentralized composting: From ground to barrels due to illegal land tenure

Originally, CAP proposed to link the D2D waste collection system to a waste segregation plan that would help reduce the waste requiring disposal by setting up a small decentralized waste collection system and generating manure that could be sold by the community to the

local nursery. A pilot was set up in 100 households in KWK. Residents were trained to segregate organic waste from recyclables. Two sets of bins were provided in the community. Dry waste bins were placed at the end of each street. Waste collectors were trained and paid a small honorarium to collect the separated organic waste, undertake a second round of segregation , and to empty the inorganic waste into a compost pit. Ground composting plans had to be called off for two reasons: ASI rules barred digging/construction of permanent pits within 100mts of protected monuments; and land was leased by the State to a private nursery owner who objected to the compost pit being dug on his land. Instead CAP decided to experiment with barrel composting.

Barrels were procured from ANN and through CAP resources for aerobic composting. Waste collectors were required to dump organic waste into the barrels and to turn the compost every few days. The activity did not yield the expected results due to following reasons and had to be abandoned: barrels were very heavy and of poor quality making turning difficult, animals tipped out waste from barrels causing it to mix with dust, and incomplete segregation of waste both at the HH level and by the sweepers.

Composting pit model being demonstrated in Katra Wazir Khan

Waste being carried on improvised carts and collected in the barrels for composting.


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9.1.2. Toilets Lack of toilets has been a major area of community concern in the project. Despite toilets not being a focus area and no funds allocated for physical construction, interventions under toilet development under CAP have been significant and include: § Construction of a community toilet in Marwari Bastee; § Improving access to subsidies under government schemes for low-cost sanitation; § Setting up a Toilet Savings Group; § Designing and rehabilitating community toilets; § Dialogue with ANN for rehabilitation of community toilets; § Creating awareness about open defecation and toilet use; and § Resource mobilization for construction of toilets.

Over the project period demand for toilets, both individual and community, has grown. Several households have used approaching weddings/ceremonies as reasons for construction of toilets. At the last count there were 25 in Kucchpura and 2 in Marwari Bastee. The latter is indicative of a growing demand for private and safe sanitation space even in the most traditional communities.

i. Marwari Bastee Gets A Community Toilet Marwari Bastee had no access to toilets when CAP started intervening in the settlement. Besides, there was no demand for a toilet. Residents were apparently comfortable about defecating in the open. At the start of the project CAP supported the construction of a simple/organic wastewater drainage system to improve environmental conditions in the area, reengineering a new thinking paradigm in the community (Box 8). Box 8: People Create Private Bathing Spaces around Standposts

In a mid-review of CAP activities for sanitation, it was planned to support up to 5 toilets in Marwari Bastee with complementary funds being accessed under GOIs Low-Cost Sanitation (LCS) Scheme implemented by DUDA. The LCS scheme offers subsidies up to Rs.1700 to families living below the poverty line to construct toilets in the house, for the most part as reimbursement. None of the residents in Marwari Bastee had been issued BPL cards despite being one of the poorest settlements. Besides, LCS funds were available to individual households, whereas preference in Marwari Bastee was for community toilets , which can be used by all. Since MB is an illegal settlement, there is reluctance within ANN to invest funds for toilet construction.

An elementary/organic drainage system for Marwari Bastee resulted in the creation of private spaces for bathing by women. CAP facilitated the construction of the drainage system by providing bricks and cement for repairing the Standpost platforms and connecting these to wastewater channels with an outfall into the nearby city drain. Women enclosed the Standpost space, more clearly demarcated after construction of the platforms, with locally available sari cloth to create private bathing spaces.


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CAP decided to develop plans for community toilets in the area and engaged residents in a dialogue over site location , seats for men, women and children, and other design issues. Residents’ ideas were shared with students from the School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University (LMU), who had worked in CAP settlements on a two-week studio project in November 2006 . In a series of virtual design workshops in March 2007, LMU students and CURE developed the design for a six-unit community toilet complex; 3 for women and 3 for men. The superstructure was planned to harmonize with existing housing structures for greater acceptability and blending in. Final designs considered easy O&M, usage by children, access to water supply, addressing ne eds for shelves, hooks, etc. In the end physical models were prepared for the two final design options (Figure 4) and shared with residents for a final choice.

Figure 4: Plans for Community Toilets

Due to budgetary considerati ons, it was decided to build the toilets on an incremental basis with CAP providing inputs for one partially built toilet for women and children (septic tank for all five units, one pan and water supply system), while the community was motivated to complete the superstructure for one toilet and construct the remaining units from their own resources. This it was felt would ensure better ownership and toilet utilization. In a new development, a civil society member approached CAP and offered to construct th e community toilet. Toilet designs prepared by CAP were shared with Dr. Simon, Lecturer at St. John’s College, Agra, and detailed discussions were held with the contractor on the technical aspects, i.e., septic tank design, soil quality, community area, etc. MB residents identified a new site for a much larger complex and agreed to provide labor and oversight while Dr Simon provided the funds. CAP has discussed and facilitated the O&M plan for the toilet. Till writing of the report, toilet construction for 6 toilets and 6 bathing areas was underway with technical inputs from CAP.


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ii. Improving Access to Subsidies under Government Schemes CAP mobilized nearly 50 households in Katra Wazir Khan and Kucchpura to apply for funds under LCS scheme for the construction of individual toilets. These applications have been submitted to the ANN Health Officer, Mr. Shamsher Singh, and DUDA officer, Mr. Kardam. As per rules, DUDA will reimburse up to Rs.1700 per toilet to those families who meet the income criteria set by the government and after completion of construction. Although as per LCS guidelines, toilet subsidies are admissible on completion of plinth level construction, DUDA’s previous experience with grant of subsidies has been discouraging, and families have not completed toilets even after receiving the money, thereby defeating the objective. They have therefore decided to let families fully invest upfront.

iii. Increasing Access to Credit for Toilet: Setting Up a Toilet Savings Group Lack of resources is an important factor that prevents poor families from investing in toilets. In order to encourage families to plan for household toilets a Toilet Savings Group (TSG) was facilitated in Kucchpura in January 2007, with 20 women saving Rs.100 per month. As per group guidelines, families borrowing for toilets will be extended credit up to Rs.5000 at an interest rate of 2%. Three group members will be accessing loans for making toilets in the house and will be facilitated under CAP -KSUP to build these toilets. The TSG is also lending to women for non-toilet needs.

iv. Designing and Rehabilitating Community Toilets A community toilet is an identified priority in Yamuna Bridge and Kucchpura. Although both settlements have a community toilet, ground realities differ, and therefore separate strategies were developed for the two settlements.


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Table 4 Situation of Community Toilets

At Yamuna Bridge women discussed and helped in toilet site selection. Two potential toilet sites were identified and visited and a site at the riverside was chosen over that at the community entrance by the women as this would mean better access. ANN engineers measured the identified site and discussed land ownership issues. Divisional Commissioner, ANN, gave notional approval for toilet construction at the CAP inception workshop (Annex 1). ANN agreed to fund the toilet at a cost of Rs.11, 00,000 subject to land sanction by the district authorities. Design for the community toilet evolved in a series of consultations with women (Box 5). Women’s requirements were translated into formal/measured drawings and submitted to ANN for tendering. ANN agreed to include in the tendering format small design improvements and requirement for use of local people as construction labor to

generate livelihoods in the area.

v. Rehabilitation of Community Toilets Kucchpura community toilet is located at the outer edge of the settlement and is no longer functional. Located in a land basin, it has become a receptacle for Kucchpura’s wastewater. Part of Kucchpura wastewater started draining into the toilet area after the sewage pipe became silted and buried under the Mehtab Bagh wall. The accumulated wastewater is stagnating in the toilet making it both inaccessible and unusable and the water seepage has caused irreparable damage to the toilet. However, since at present only a few HHs have personal toilets, demand for its revival is a high community priority. C AP held discussions with two key actors, ANN engineers and ASI, on toilet rehabilitation . Applications have also been submitted to the two organizations to demolish and rebuild the toilet. ANN is being encouraged to access JNNURM funds to rebuild the toilet, especially as Kucchpura is now part of the first 47 slum settlements to be upgraded under the Mission.

vi. Using the Bridging Grant for Toilet Rehabilitation The toilet in KWK too is in part non -operational. Rehabilitation of the KWK toilet was planned under C AP’s small bridging grant. Although recently constructed with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) support, the toilet became dysfunctional because of a broken submersible pump. CAP supported submission of a community application to ANN for pump repair. Since the process was likely to take some time, CAP decided to use its bridging fund to

Kucchpura Yamuna Bridge

Community toilet exists but is unusable due to a collapsed septic tank

Residents at the front of the settlement have built private toilets connected to septic tanks/pits

Being in a low-lying area the toilet has becom e the receptacle for part of the community wastewater drainage

Residents near the river do not have personal toilets

Water has started to stagnate in the toilet area further damaging the structure

There is no community toilet for residents without personal toilets

Community members are defecating in the open and on the road leading up to the toilet

Residents defecate along the river front

Kucchpura Yamuna Bridge


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get the pump repaired and hired a local civil engineer to make a technical appraisal and prepare the estimate. The technical review has suggested that the job was far too large for CAP’s small fund . Due to the non-functioning subm ersible pump, o ver time the toilet septic tank had collapsed and its toilet seats, doors and tiles destroyed, making the toilet practically non-usable.

vii. Mobilization of Resources for Construction of Toilet Toilets being seen as an important sanitation intervention, CURE decided to access resources to start the process of toilet building in Kucchpura. A proposal was developed and submitted to USAID for funding to demonstrate construction of up to 5 household toilets, improve drainage and develop a wastewater treatment system. Funds were sanctioned by USAID for a Kucchpura Settlement Upgrading Project (KSUP). Under KSUP CURE will assist ANN and DUDA to develop a sanitation DPR for Kucchpura to access resources for upgrading of the settlement under JNNURM.

9.1.3. Wastewater Drainage Systems Appropriate wastewater disposal is a key urban sanitation challenge. Its absence in urban poor communities is chiefly responsible for pools of stagnant water, mosquitoes and vector borne illnesses . Two key activities under CAP for wastewater included : § Elementary wastewater drainage system in Marwari Bastee; and § Resource mobilization for wastewater treatment system in Kucchpura.

i. Elementary Wastewater Drainage System in Marwari Bastee Residents of Marwari Bastee have contributed to improving community sanitation. Wastewater drainage plans emerged primarily from discussions with the residents about improving water supply platforms. Water supply infrastructure in the settlement, i.e., standpost platforms were found to be crumbling. Besides, the standposts were unconnected to any drains. As a result, wastewater was overflowing on to the informal/un-tarred pathways in the area creating highly unsanitary environments.

CAP facilitated the development of an action plan to improve wastewater drainage. This included improvement of standpost platforms linked to drainage channels with an outfall into the stormwater drain . CAP agreed to provide bricks and other material and cover the costs for a trained mason from its bridging fund . The community offered manual labor and oversight support. All old and new taps were

Poor state of the platforms around the community


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cemented and linked to a simple drain that used the natural gradient in the settlement to carry off wastewater overflows into the city stormwater drain. Besides improving the community environment, physical construction of the drain led to several significant outcomes in a community that had been resisting change for nearly 80 years: § Community reprioritized its sanitation need and began talking about private bathing

areas and toilet spaces (community-level). Over time women were seen to enclose these neatl y developed platforms with saris to create private and safe spaces for bathing;

§ An upsurge in aspiration levels was noticed as overnight residents installed taps closer to their homes to take advantage of the drainage system; and

§ Residents began discussing about pucca and permanent housing and dug out documents related to an inventory prepared under GOI’s social housing program called Valmiki Ambedkar Malin Bastee Awas Yojna (VAMBAY).

ii. Resource Mobilization for Wastewater Treatment System in Kucchpura As part of its livelihood activities, CAP has planned to develop a Mughal Heritage Walk (MHW) as a business product enabling trained tour animators to derive sustainable livelihoods. Tourism Consultant, Daniel Mattson1, both evaluated and drew up the roadmap for developing the MHW. A key feature of the plan was to improve sanitary conditions along the MHW, making it a pleasing tourist experience. (Please see Annex 3 for recommendations of Tourism Consultant.) CURE identified the key sanitation tasks required in the development of the MHW: improving drains and pathways, unblocking drains and linking them to a simple wastewater/cascading treatment system to trap and treat the gray water and make it available for agricultural purposes, rehabilitate the toilet complex, and support development of household toilets. It was envisaged that such an initiative will help in sustainable improvement in the environment besides improving the place for tourism . CURE developed a proposal for Kucchpura Upgrading (KSUP) as a step towards improving the sanitation conditions around the MHW area. USAID has approved a small fund to undertake brick and mortar work. KSUP started implementation in November 2006 and will be completed by September 2007 and will include: § Strengthening and opertionalization of a Toilet Savings Group to improve access to

credit; § Development of a Community Sanitation Action Plan based on neighborhood level

meetings; § Construction of five household toilets based on toilet designs developed by a

consultant; § Improvement of pathways and drains in the MHW areas; § Design and development of an elementary wastewater treatment system; and § Development of a Detailed Project Report for upgrading under JNNURM.

1 Director, USDA Forest Service/Heritage Design Tourism Assistance Services, at the request of CAP and with the support of USAID-GSTA department, undertook a feasibility study in June 2006 of the proposed Mughal Heritage Walk.


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9.1.4. Capacity Building of A gra Nagar Nigam

i. Zero Waste Zone A zero waste zone was set up at the ANN with active support of the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. S. S. Yadav, and ANN Sanitation staff. Mr P U Asnani, SWM consultant, opened the dialogue with sanitation workers and discussed a plan of action to make ANN into a waste-free zone. Based on the road map developed , ANN purchased large and small dustbins for rooms and desks and set up an efficient system for waste collection and disposal . Notices were posted on walls and personal letters issued to staff to seek their active cooperation in keeping the ANN environment clean. While CAP put up information boards in the public areas to generate awareness on waste management and sanitation, ANN undertook clean -up operations including toilets , repainting, polishing of banisters, washing off spit stains and placing additional spittoons and dustbins in hallways, etc. Regular meetings with sweepers have helped to sustain the motivation. ANN today is a much cleaner organization than at the start of the project with a better culture of cleanliness and a waste management ethos.

ii. Training of Sanitation Workers Global Micro Enterprise Development (GMED) is a programme supported by the USAID aimed at development of micro enterprises around SWM and implementation of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules, 2000 . GMED trained 150 sanitary staff of the ANN over a period of two days in improved and effective waste management techniques, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules, 2000, and Public Private Partnerships (PPP) for solid waste management through presentations, short movie clips and sharing other city experiences. The training was organized by Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Consultant to the project, with support of SWM experts, Mr. Suresh Bhandari and Mr. S. A. Khader, who shared their experiences of Suryapet and Kadappa in Andhra Pradesh. All participants were awarded certificates by the Nagar Nigam on completion of the training program.


36

Box 9: Solid Waste Management Micro Enterprise Development Challenge: What Didn’t Work Sweepers along with a group of young boys were federated into a micro enterprise group with support of GMED. The objective was to arrange a partnership between the ANN and the ME group to contract out sanitation collection and disposal work along the Heritage Trail to the ME group. As per MSW Rules 2000, ANN’s responsibility was to provide the equipment and cost of collection to the CBO contractors. To determine the financial viability of the ME, CAP undertook two surveys: Heritage Trail area and Sanjay Place commercial complex, to asses the value and nature of the SW being disposed and current disposal arrangements. Despite several attempts, ANN was unable to finalize the contract due to resource constraints.

iii. Organization of Local Sweepers CAP has organized a group of ANN and local sweepers providing services to Kucchpura households. This has ensured greater SWM efficiency and cooperation. Dialogue has been arranged between the community members and the sanitation workers to enable them to understand problems and to develop common solutions.

9.2 Activities and Achievements for Sustainable Livelihood s CAP’s second key objective was to promote sustainable livelihoods for women and young people. This component of the project was supported by Chemonix, a USAID contractor, and addressed social development concerns for one year. FIRE (D-III) began to support the livelihoods component in September 2006, the last six months of CAP, with a view to build upon and sustain the livelihoods initiatives started earlier with support from Chemonix. (The details at Box 10 present a brief summary of the tasks accomplished in the first phase of the project.) This report describe s activities between September 2006 and April 2007. Box 10: Livelihood Initiatives under Crosscutting Agra Program

§ An interactive and participatory value chain analysis to understand existing livelihood

arrangements, in particular among poor women; formal and informal sectors in which poor are engaged; incomes earned; nature and extent of exploitation; and existing mechanisms for credit/opportunities for livelihoods.

§ Scoping out options for women and young people’s livelihoods linked to the city’s core economy, tourism, and in association with the private sector.

§ Mobilization of women into livelihood groups (one each in KWK and Kucchpura with 5 and 10 members, respectively).

§ Alliances with the private sector for developing products used in the tourism industry, such as shoe covers, plate covers, laundry bags, newspaper bags and conference bags. CAP supported women in developing samples and getting these approved, procuring raw materials, product costing, access to credit, setting up of bank accounts, delivery, fabrication space, and training in finance management/negotiating with clients.

§ Training young boys in tour animation, formation of the MHW enterprise, a business group of 8 tour animators, and enabling them to set up business guidelines/plans and skills.

§ Operationalizing the MHW to enable the MHWE to become sustainable.


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9.2.1. Towards Threshold Incomes and Sustainable Livelihoods In the post-Chemonix/ exit phase, the effort was to consolidate livelihood initiatives started and to ensure achievement of threshold level incomes. Towards this end CAP decided to widen the range of products, partnership base and ensure long-term orders. The threshold has been set at Rs.1000 for tour animators and between Rs.500 to Rs.750 for women. Table 5 below gives achievements under the project between September 2006 and April 2007 in the women’s livelihoods group.

Table 5 Achievements under the Project

Products Orders Agencies Turnover (Rs.) Laundry bags 6000 Clarkes Shiraz 30000 Newspaper bags 1500 Clarkes Shiraz 3375 Cake bags 500 Clarkes Shiraz 3000 Plate cover 500 Clarkes Shiraz 1125 Shoe cover 1000 pairs TourAids,

Mikato, Greaves T ravels, Sita Travels

35000

Carry bags 144 CPCB 4896 Souvenir 100 Heritage Walk souvenirs 600 Workshop bags 50 FIRE- D 3000 Workshop bags 75 CAP Workshop 3000 Workshop bags 500 Bhagidari 22500

9.2.2. Community-based Tourism: The Business Model i. Developing the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise Of the 21 young boys who had participated in the initial animator trainings, 8 have agreed to form a tourism business enterprise called the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise (MHWE). The need for setting up a MHWE enterprise was felt after CAP realized that capacity creation alone did not result in employment/income earning opportunities. In a series of meetings organized with suppo rt of local NGO partner, SANKALP, tour animators have developed business operation plans and a group protocol. CAP has provided assistance in the setting up of a bank account and training in tourism-based skills (English language, MHW story line, novel local architectural features, construction practices, anecdotes, etc.). Grooming training (tourism protocol and tourist manners) was arranged with support of the Tourism Guild. On field practice was provided through CAP facilitated walks. ii. Developing the Mughal Heritage Walk Product A broad vision for the MHW product was developed under CAP and has served as a guide


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to the development of the product. As part of CAP, a few elements of the product have been developed and include: • Physical improvements along the MHW inside Kucchpura; • Developing the brand through production and distribution of advocacy material; • Capacity buildi ng of tour animators; • Merchandizing; and • Resource mobilization.

a. Physical Improvements along the Mughal Heritage Walk Physical development plans for the MHW were prepared in consultation with Mr. Daniel Mattson, Director, Heritage Design /USDA Forest Service, who visited Agra at the request of CAP and with the assistance of USAID/EGAT and FIRE offices. Endorsing the MHW concept proposed by the CAP team (Annexure 2: Statement of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in setting up the MHW) Daniel developed the conceptual framework for a community-based tourism project and the road map for the future in a participatory design process with CURE, Debashish Nayak, national consultant, key stakeholders, local government and civil society organizations (Annexure 3). Three key recommendations have been taken up for implementation under CAP and are seen as steps towards the full operationalization of the MHW. These are: § Developing a base map of Kucchpura; § Preparing initial cost estimates for elementary repair and renovation of roads; § Identification of architectural elements along the MHW.

i. Development of Base Map and Preparing Cost Estimates A detailed/measured base map of Kucchpura, including the MHW, was prepared with the assistance of LMU students during their studio semester in CAP. LMU students built upon the resource and HH maps prepared by CAP, converting these into measured drawings of the entire settlement in an inclusive process and using simple and innovative tools from local products such as a cycle wheel, strings and bamboo poles. Local people in the community assisted in the measurement process and shared information about their culture, life styles, etc.


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Figure 5 Base Map of Kucchpura

Because of the simplicity of tools and their familiarity in the community, local people were easily included in the measurement process and engaged in a dialogue on community development. The map has been used to plan for physical improvements under KSUP, such as the identification of roads/drains to be repaired , location of the wastewater treatment system, location of toilets, etc. With support of a social architect consultant, Ms. Bashobi Dasgupta, CURE has been able to develop the

cost estimates and engineering designs for renovation of roads, rehabilitation of drains, design and development of the wastewater treatment system, and plan for individual toilets as part of KSUP. Maps have also been developed for MB, Kucchpura and Katra Wazir Khan with support of LMU students. ii. Identification of Architectural Elements A key part of the MHW development plan was to highlight the Mughal architectural and building features along the Walk and in the settlement. These features have been identified and


40

documented with support of LMU students and Debashish Nayak. Meetings were held with local craftsmen close to Agra in Fatehpur Sikri with a view to discuss integration of the identified features into the Kucchpura village architecture (homes, community schools, etc.) to enhance tourism value /experience.

iii. Building a Multi-purpose Platform A multi-purpose platform has been designed and built in MB in response to a felt need by residents for community space and for bringing the pre-school centre insi de the settlement, as also to create space for marketing merchandise. The platform is also expected to serve as a point where tourists can take a walking break and relax with a tea/cold drink service set up by residents. The multi-purpose platform has been designed by CURE Programme Officer and architect, Shveta Mathur. The platform was built with the participation of the local community, in particular the children whose learning interests have been kept in mind in designing the platform. The platform has been designed to provide opportunities for child learning and includes cognitive concept for pre-school learning such as shapes, colors, textures, numbers, etc. The latter have been engraved into the platform and have been imprinted by children as part of a fun filled school activity. A local engineer was hired to estimate costs and material requirement and to oversee construction of the platform. People participated in cleaning up the space and platform decoration. iv. The Display Cart A Display Cart was designed and developed by LMU students during their studio exercise and in appreciation of residents’ participation in their work. The Cart was gifted to the community by the students. Students purchased a local vendor Cart and helped residents to display their whips on the Cart for sale. Full utilization of the Cart will start once the MHW becomes fully operational. v. Kucchpura Information Centre CAP has established a Soochna Sansadhan Kendra (SSK), an information centre in Kucchpura. It is designed as a multi-purpose center . It provides space to women for livelihood s, conducting of community meetings and awareness workshops. Eventually as the MHW becomes operational and more tourists come to the area, the centre will also serve as a place for information to


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tourists. Located at the centre of Kucchpura in the courtyard, the information centre is ideally positioned to serve as a tourist information point, as also a stop over for a tea service. Presently the centre has awareness material on sanitation, health, hygiene and livelihoods for local knowledge building . It also contains community maps, MHW maps and souvenirs. Community women have decorated the centre with traditional wall motifs and colors . vi Engaging Local Agencies for Physical Development ASI officials have been engaged in a dialogue for renovation and improvement of the Gyarah Sidi monument. ASI has agreed to develop a pathway to the monument and add new signage. ASI has been persuaded to examine the possibility of reconstructi ng the Mehtab Bagh toilet block. The Horticulture Department has planted trees along the route to Mehtab Bagh with brick tree guards. b. Product Branding: Institutional Arrangements and Advocacy i. The Heritage Cell at ANN CAP is supporting the ANN to set up a Heritage Cell at the Corporation’s office. The Executive Engineer responsible for JNNURM implementation has been given additional charge for the Heritage Cell. CAP has supplied display boards to the ANN to advocate the MHW and will be setting up the cell with MHW models and brochures. The Heritage Cell idea was prompted by an experience exchange meeting arranged for the ANN Commissioner , staff and local civil society groups to Ahmedabad between 15th and 17th December, 2005, to view successful initiatives in the city for heritage conservation and solid waste management. ii. The Mughal Story Line : Brochure and Scroll Souvenirs As a start, CAP developed the story line around MHW through an intensive research process undertaken with support of several specialists. Literature was accessed from a joint study done by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA, Department of Landscape Architecture, and the Directorate of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh. Local heritage consultant to the project, Debashish Nayak, with Dr. Priyaleen Singh, a conservation architect and professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, also helped in resourcing material for the story. All material has been reviewed for accuracy by the ASI. The MHW story is about the old hi story of Kucchpura and other monuments included in the Walk (Box 2). It describes the history of garden development in the Mughal period, Mughal lifestyles and construction technologies such as the building of aqueducts, well foundations, embankments, etc. It also highlights some old features along the MHW, i.e., an old community platform, an old well, plant varieties that have sustained since the Mughal period, etc. Two brochures and a scroll have been developed to promote the MHW and to develop a brand identity. The story has been printed as a souvenir scroll on


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parchment paper, to be gifted as part of the MHW experience to the tourists. Brochures provide architectural details of the monuments and have been designed to promote the MHW itself. These have been distributed to the tourism industry. India Tourism has offered to reprint the brochure and to market the MHW product. Other advocacy material prepared under CAP includes annual planners and project newsletters. These too have served as advocacy tools and have been disseminated widely both within the stakeholder community and other urban actors. In particular, the second planner (a diary), besides appreciating the cooperation shown by residents, stakeholders and other actors to the project, also provides information on the MHW.

c. Capacity Building of Tour Animators: Assisted Walks and Tourism Events Even as tour animators had been trained under the project, there was need for enhancing their levels of confidence through experiential learning. Several heritage walks were organized both for the tourism industry and tourists and included ASI officials, partners from donor agencies, and tourists. Both paid and unpaid walks have been organized for tourists and, with each walk, increasingly the responsibility for walk management has been transferred from CAP to the MHWE. Paid walks included provision of a souvenir developed by community members to the tourists as part of the cost of the walk. Table 6 indicates the number of w alks organized and outcomes. Besides conducting walks, tour animators have also participated in tourism events organized by other departments. The MHWE group participated in tourism events such as the World Tourism Day on 27 September , 2006, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, the World Heritage Day organized by ASI in November 2006, and the World


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Environment Day hosted by Taj View Hotel on 5 June, 2006. The Taj View Hotel Walk included a special tree plantation drive in association with the MHWE and MB residents, including the pre-school children; a Heritage Walk for children facilitated by the tour animators to the Gyarah Sidi and Chini Ka Rauza monuments; games and competitions for children ; and an awareness rally for better appreciation of the natural environment and built heritage. Capacity building has also included grooming training organized with the support of the Tourism Guild and India Tourism Department.

Table 6 Group Earnings

d. Merchandising Three souvenirs have been developed for tourists taking the MHW during the project period with the aim of improving livelihoods among the communities.

• The Multi-skill Souvenir Box comprises a box with incense sticks rolled by women, clay incense stick holders made by the potter in KWK, miniature leather whips made by the poorest family in Marwari Bastee, and a wooden box to package the products . The souvenir is priced at Rs.100.

Group Date Group Earning s (Rs.)

1. ASI Officials September 2006 - 2. Myrada and Mahila

Samakhya November 2006 500

3. BG Group October 2006 2500 4. World Economic Forum December 2006 200 5. Free Individual Tourists (2) January 2007 500 6. Individual Tourists

(Tourism Day) November 2006 200

3900


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Twenty-five boxes were developed initially and sold to tourists during the guided walks. The first lot of boxes has been provided to the MHWE free of cost by CAP.

• Handcrafted Leather product designs that build upon exiting leather handcrafting

skills among residents of Marwari Bastee have been developed. The design development will be followed by training in the new products under CSYP.

• The Mughal Heritage Walk Story Scroll has been designed to provide tourists with a

keepsake of their walk experience. It includes a map of the MHW and a brief story line. The scroll has been developed as a wall hanging on parchment paper and forms part of the package to be provided to tourists. It is planned to be included in the cost of the ticket. Additional sets will be made available to interested tourists at R s.150 per scroll.

e. Resource Mobilization Physical improvements along the walk and a fully functional MHWE require larger resources. Several proposals have been developed by CURE to access additional resources for operationalizing the MHW. § The KSUP is designed to access resources for basic physical improvements in the

MHW area, in particular around the Kucchpura courtyard. The proposal, approved for funding by USAID, includes development of 5 household toilets, improved pathways and drains in one by-lane, setting up of a waste treatment plant to clean gray water from one part of the settlement before discharge into the field/river and development of a DPR to be submitted to JNNURM for upgrading resources.

§ A proposal was developed with the support of USAID’s Office of Social Development for a Cross -sectoral Youth Program (CSYP) initiative in Agra. CSYP has committed resources for an additional year to work with youth groups in the project settlements to deepen livelihoods and strengthen employability skills. As part of CSYP, the effort will be to fully operationalize the MHWE, develop a River Front Tourism Enterprise and roll-out the livelihood components to youth groups in the existing and under-invested settlements under CAP.

§ A second proposal has been submitted to GSTA2/USAID for full operationalization of the MHW as part of a Community-based Tourism Project for Poverty Reduction. The proposal is under consideration of the GSTA Department. Matching funds are being explored from USAIDIndia.

9.2.3. Setting Up and Operating a Community Credit Fund Facility CURE initiated a Community Credit Fund (CCF) facility to enable micro enterprise groups to access credit for setting up the enterprise. CCF has provided credit assistance to the two women’s livelihood groups on a recurring basis. This has included interest-free credit to purchase raw materials for product development. CCF has been deigned to operate as a revolving fund with the borrowed capital refunded by the group on receipt of payment from the client. This allows the CCF to extend loans to other groups.

The Kucchpura livelihood group now receives payments by cheque after CAP facilitated setting up of its bank account in the Jamuna Grameen Bank. On receiving a payment, women return in full the advance made under CCF. The women’s group has printed its own letterheads and issues all orders and bills under its name, all of which were earlier managed by CAP. 2 Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance.


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Credit assistance for setting up the MHWE has been planned under CCF as per a business plan developed under CAP. The loan will cover the setting up of the MHWE office and operating costs. An estimated rate of return has been used to calculate/prepare the repayment plan and the equated monthly installments (Annexure 4). CCF will also be available to other MHWEs that are proposed to be facilitated under CSYP. With additional resources, CCF will offer loans to poor households for toilet construction on repayment terms as decided by the TSG and may include options such as equated daily installments or equated weekly/monthly installments. Interest generated under the CCF will be used for O&M activities/other village improvement works. Box 11: Women in Self-help Groups Borrow for Personal Needs

Institutionalizing CCF: The Future Road Map CAP exit plan includes transfer of the CCF management to the local community. It is proposed to federate all livelihood groups into a CCF management group (CCFMG). The CCFMG will choose an executive committee with representation from each group and will hold annual elections for the group president, secretary and treasurer . All members of the CCFMG will be provided training in group dynamics and management. CAP will provide back stopping support over the project period to ensure that the facility is effectively managed. As the number of groups may increase, the effort will also be able to access formal finances from national and private sector banks and through SHGs (Box 12) . SHGs will be assisted to modify their guidelines to offer credit to non-members at higher interest rates, incentive savings among women, and generating resources for SHGs for credit management. Box 12: Self-help Group s Expand and Formalize CAP has facilitated 2 SHGs and a Toilet Savings Group. First generation SHG members have undergone 2 rounds of training on SHG organization and management. Total group transaction has exceeded Rs.12000 of which nearly Rs. 8000 has been borrowed by members and Rs. 2000 saved and deposited in the bank.

Adarsh Mahila Mandal (AMM) was the first SHG formed under C AP. Women members have used the opportunity to take loans on low interest rates for personal needs. Women reported borrowing for a family vacation, repair of a husband’s auto rickshaw to put him back to work, household repairs, recovering mortgaged jewelry, and a sari for the festival of Kurvachauth.


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9.2.4. Alliances with the Private Sector Private sector participation has been critical to the implementation of CAP. Tourism Guild and the Tour Operators Association have been major supporters of CAP, in particular to make operational the MHW and promote livelihoods. Their support has included: § Deepening CURE’s understanding of tourism

operations and requirements; § Identification of and procurement of products from livelihood groups used in hotels and

tourism trades. Over the project period , the number of clients, range of products and orders have increased towards building sustainable income for women group members;

§ Grooming for tourism; tour animators have been oriented to tourism etiquette and a code of behaviour and there is hope that a few will get full-time employment at the proposed Information Centre;

§ Distribution of MHW brochures to tourists; and § Participation in the meetings organized by ANN, including the Heritage and T ourism

Task Force set up under JNNURM.

9.3 Building the Community-based Information System (CBIS) The community-based Information System or CBIS is an organic information system constructed from community data gathered through participatory processes and consisting of people’s perceptions and concerns, digitised on a Geographical Information System, a map-based platform. As part of CAP, a CBIS was developed for the project settlements. A range of PLA tools was used at the very start of the project to collect baseline information and mobilize communities. The five project settlements are marked on the map of Agra. The map of Agra used is the property tax map recently developed under JBIC-supported reform interventions in the city to ensure compatibility. Data for each settlement, including the demographic profile of residents, their access to sanitation and basic municipal services and status vis-à-vis livelihoods, has been computerised and linked to settlement maps. The CBIS has been customised by a GIS consultant and uploaded on ANN’s computer systems as a project on the property tax database. The customization enables ANN to use the CBIS as an instrument for monitoring slum upgrading. The ANN Commissioner and team were oriented to the CBIS and its potential applications. A request has been made by the Commissioner to scale up CBIS citywide . It has been agreed to develop a citywide CBIS as part of the CDS process . Data collection for the citywide CBIS has been completed, population information is being validated, and customization has been started. The CBIS has been documented as a best practice by the Metropolis Commission Five on Indicators established by the UNHABITAT. Dr. Renu Khosla, Director CAP and CURE, has presented papers at several forums including to USAID, as follows: § The World Urban Forum in a Workshop on Indicators facilitated by UNHABITAT and

Metropolis Commission Five on Urban Indicators; and


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§ The Second South Asia Conference on Sanitation in Islamabad 21-22 September, 2006 at the invitation of the Ministry of Health, Pakistan (Annex 8).

Figure 6: Community-based Information System

IV Significant Results 10. Linkages to Other Programs A significant achievement under CAP is the establishment of a formal partnership between the Department of Spatial Design (DASD), London Metropolitan University (LMU), and CURE that binds the two agencies into a knowledge sharing agreement with CURE offering students from the Department live projects for architectural practice and LMU enabling CURE to enhance its theoretical orientation. The relationship between LMU and CURE began in Delhi where CURE supported LMU in establishing links to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for slum upgrading projects. LMU was offering funds from the Water Trust for fully upgrading a slum area in South Delhi. This arrangement was deepened through C AP . CAP has provided LMU students with a live project to sharpen their community architecture skills. Twenty-five students and their professors spent 2 weeks in Agra. Besides developing student projects, CAP was assisted in the development of measured drawings of two project settlements. These drawings have formed the basis for designing improvements along the MHW, construction of household toilets (5) and the wastewater treatment system under KSUP. These will also be used for developing a DPR for settlement upgrading that will be used by DUDA for accessing funds under JNNURM (Box 13) . Box 13: Best Practice for PEARL – JNNURM

List of Indicators for HH Mapping

§ Number of family members by age and sex

§ Employment status of men and women (type of work)

§ Education status of children

§ Ownership of toilets and water connections

§ System for HH waste disposal.

CAP, as a heritage and tourism-based best practice under a new initiative/network of heritage cities called PEARL, has been invited to make presentations to partner cities on its community-based tourism model.


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Links are established with the Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC), a national level urban health NGO, both at the head office and in Agra. In Agra, the UHRC field teams and animators work jointly for achieving health objectives (CAP and UHRC have two common field animators). UHRC uses the CAP resource centre at Kucchpura, and through CAP , CBOs have advocated messages on better health practices. UHRC has also participated in awareness campaigns organized in these communities and is part of the Urban Poverty Task Force within CDS. Dialogue has also been started with several international agencies such as the World Bank, UNESCO and UNDP on tourism-based initiatives in the country (Bodh Gaya and rural tourism projects of the Ministry of Tourism ) and in neighboring countries (Kathmandu). A meeting was held with Ms. Miki Teresawa of World Bank on 21st November 2006. She is currently designing a livelihood and tourism-based project in the heritage city of Bodh Gaya. Agra’s experiences with heritage and tourism under CAP were shared with her. She has requested for an experience-sharing meeting between the two cities.

11. Outputs/Impacts Key outcomes of the project have been: i. Empowered Communities Poor settlements in Agra had absolutely no civil society engagement prior to CAP’s interventions. As a result they had remained uninformed and unsupported and unable to address their key problems. CAP has facilitated the process of transforming underpowered community groups to organized and strengthened communities with capacity to address their own livelihood needs. At the community-level, there are now more organized groups addressing a diverse set of needs, with capacity to discuss and participate in project implementation. People’s responses have changed from skepticism to confidence in the project’s ability to improve the quality of their lives ; from indifference to active cooperation and participation in project initiatives; and from dependence on governments to self-reliance and willingness to invest in improving their lives. Women in particular have been empowered through their involvement with the SHG and livelihood groups (see Table 7). They operate bank accounts, receive and deposit cheque payments, manage their own finances and deal with clients by themselves using their own letterheads, and bill order books. Women are now financially more empowered and are better able to negotiate for their rights within the family. This is evident in women challenging men over house ownership and demanding investment in toilets.


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Table 7: Existing Community Groups

ii Mainstreaming Urban Poor Communities Project settlements have been mainstreamed with the city systems and economy. Women CBOs now derive their incomes from tourism, the key economy of the city. Settlements are also networked with ANN’s waste disposal and sanitation systems for long-term sustainable intervention . iii. Rise in Incomes of Women and Poor Households Women’s earnings are up from Rs. 10 to 80 per working day. These women have obtained employment for over 60 days at the enhanced incomes. Rising incomes are making women more empowered and better negotiators of their rights. iv. Improved Access to Basic Services and Cleaner Settlements Sanitation activities have resulted in cleaner settlements, which are valued by their residents and there is greater willingness to maintain these environments. People are participating in cleanliness campaigns and door-to-door waste collection systems. Willingness to add toilets in homes has increased with toilets adding to people’s sense of worth. Demand for basic and better services is increasing. Figure 7 presents a comprehensive picture of the various community outreach initiatives under the project.

Community Existing Groups/Members Total Members

Outreach

Boys Girls Women Others Group Membership as % of Total HHs

Katra Wazir Khan

1/12 1/10 1/5 1/11 (sweepers) 38 6.2

Kucchpura 1/11 1/25 1/35 1/2 (sweepers) 73 16.47

Nagladevjeet 1/10 1/10 Nil Nil 20 6.66 Marwari Bastee

Nil 15 Nil Nil 15 15

All Communities

8 (tour animators) 6 (facilitators)

14

160 11.1


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Figure 7: Community Outreach Pyramid

V. ANN Takes on a Stewardship Role: Addresses Needs of Slum Communities CAP has created critical capacity in the ANN to respond to needs of urban poor settlements. This was evident in the Commissioner’s request for the preparation of a DPR under JNNURM for slum settlements that do not fall within the DUDA lists and for citywide expansion of the CBIS. CAP’s technical assistance to ANN has enabled it to engage with local civil society members and develop slum upgrading and sanitation-based initiatives under JNNURM . CAP is facilitating the dialogue between the two agencies to set up an inclusive planning process in the ANN. Nine Task Forces under CDS were set up by the ANN to address critical city concerns. vi. Strengthened and Supportive Civil Society Agra civil society is now much more cooperative and engages with the local authorities in a positive communication. This has been the result of frequent exchanges and a pro-active dialogue with a broadening range of civil society partners under CAP. The number and range of civil society agencies/individuals that have actively/tacitly supported/engaged with the project have grown from just a couple at the start of the project. SANKALP, a small tourism-based

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NGO, has been supported with skills and capacities for community mobilization. NGO strengthening will ensure greater sustainability, especially on CURE’s exit. Being in the city SANKALP can provide back stopping support to small CBOs and help them resolve problems and access basic urban services. 12. Challenges in the Project: An Introspection Community sanitation and livelihood initiatives have been challenging. Reasons for this are: § Sanitation is about behavior change. Changing behavior requires a longer and more

intense effort aimed at convincing people and breaking them from long-standing habits of open defecation, inapp ropriate waste dumping, etc.

§ For sanitation interventions to be successful, a total community sanitation approach

needs to be adopted that covers four key areas of sanitation for a significant improvement in quality of life of poor people. These include solid waste management, wastewater management, toilet provision and hygiene behavior. All four must be addressed simultaneously for a concerted impact. CAP started initially by attending to just two key sanitation components: solid waste management and awareness building and struggled. Visible change began after the other two aspects were incorporated into the project’s design with additional financial assistance.

§ Sanitation projects must be about physical infrastructure improvements. Community

mobilization around sanitation can only be reinforced by physical development. Community response picks up once they begin to see construction activities.

§ Physical improvements require huge resources, in particular if one is to make a shift

from tinkering to mainstreaming. Large funds are generally available only with the local government agencies. In the case of CAP, ANN’s weak financial, technical and lack of power is chiefly responsible for its inability to access/spend/absorb resources for slum infrastructure development. ANN has been unable to access its share of resources from big brother ADA. It has also been unable to implement in earnest its property tax reforms to improve its fiscal health.

§ Weak ANN financials have been exacerbated by its technical capac ity. Even as there

are engineering skills, domain knowledge and ground information within the ANN, there is little information on the new technologies being experimented across the country. This has hampered the development/implementation of urban renewal plans.

§ ANN does not have a major role in delivery of basic services, except sanitation,

because all the functions under the 74th CAA are yet to be transferred to it. ANN’s responsibilities do not extend to slum renewal, which is largely the responsibili ty of DUDA. Even as DUDA sits within the ANN it is accountable just to state authorities.

§ Multiple agencies without clear lines of control have meant confused/overlapping

responsibilities , low institutional commitment to development of basic infrastructure services in slums results in a tossing around of responsibilities that leave the poor excluded from the system .

§ Lack of a policy on land tenure has been primarily responsible for exclusion of poor

communities from accessing basic infrastructure services. This has been clearly


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demonstrated in the cases of toilets at Yamuna Bridge . As discussed previously, the space identified for the community toilet by residents belonged to the State. CAP reviewed land records and was informed that the identified site had been leased to a private individual. As per government rules, if the leaser does not start using land within three months of allotment, the S tate has the right to make recovery. Based on an application submitted by residents the process of land repossession started, i.e., land measurement, signatures of witnesses, issuance of public notice, and a notice period of three months. After repossession, another application was submitted by the community to the District Magistrate to sanction land to ANN for construction of a community toilet. In spite of repeated follow-up by CURE and the community, jointly and separately, till date land has not been released to ANN for toilet construction. CAP was also unable to get a response from the local authorities to undertake rehabilitation of the KWK or Kucchpura toilets.

§ ANN does not have a good track record of working with the private sector. Its recent

partnerships with ICICI for a SWM initiative under the USAID-CTI project and IL&FS have not borne results. Besides, these are targeted to only high-income communities.

§ Livelihoods process too requires considerable hand holding, in particular where poor

women are concerned. Besides requiring an extended intervention period, livelihoods outreach cannot be scaled up very quickly. Besides, livelihood development does not have a point agency in the city. Even under JNNURM, the issue of economic development has been largely unaddressed. However, for a significant change in the quality of lives of the poor it is imperative that the twin issues of sanitation and livelihoods be addressed together.

13. Lessons Learned A workshop was organized on 11th April 2007 in Agra on the Crosscutting Agra Program for local and state government officials (Department of Urban Development, ADA, ASI, ANN, DUDA, and Jal Sansthan), sector experts, local and international NGOs, civil society members and project communities. The workshop shared CAP experiences, achievements, success stories and challenges (Box 14). It brought in experiences from other parts of the country and was used as an opportunity to network with key actors, take critical decisions and develop the future strategy and plan of action. Please see minutes of the Workshop at Annexure 5. Some decisions taken at the Workshop were: a. Mr. Dayalan, ASI, agreed to grant permission to renovate the Kucchpura community toilet

and support all activities related to its repair and upgrading, i f ANN sends in a request application.

b. Mr. S S Yadav agreed to provide a matching grant for slum upgrading from ANN funds to scale up CAP initiative in at least one or two more settlements in Agra.

c. Mr. Mahatam Singh, Tourism Guild, mentioned that the Guild could provide up to Rs.20 lakhs for construction of a Tourist Information Centre near the Taj, if the authorities provided the space.

d. The City Commissioner agreed to set up a Heritage Cell on the model of the Ahmedabad Corporation for the development and promotion of heritage and tourism in the city.


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Box 14: Lessons Learnt from the Crosscutting Agra Program

1. Working in partnership with the government is key to sustainability CAP is designed as a partnership with ANN. Its location within the Nagar Nigam premises resulted in greater ownership of the processes and cooperative effort, which not only built institutional capacity to address sanitation issues, but has also ensured access city resources for scaling up. 2. Community inclusion is critical for improved basic services Community participation has been the key to CAP success. It helped CAP develop demand-based intervention plans and to reinvent these based on community responses/ground realities. Community inclusion has meant greater sustainability of interventions through community ownership. 3. Urban sanitation needs hardware and citywide planning Even though CAP campaigned for improved sanitation in all project communities, impact has been the greatest where it has been able to support infrastructure development. Development of sanitation infrastructure, however, cannot be planned and implemented at the community-level. It requires city or area -based planning to network the settlement to city sewerage and wastewater disposal systems. This calls for the much larger resources available only with the government. 4. Exposure to good practices has greater impact than other forms of knowledge sharing The experience exchange visit to Ahemadabad for selected city and civil society members was the critical factor in institutional capacity creation. Seeing was believing for officials and led to the start of several new ideas in Agra: setting up of the Heritage Cell, the zero waste zone, etc. 5. People at the bottom of the pyramid are important actors in building the city economy and can

work with the private sector CAP livelihood initiative has been a win-win situation for the poor and the private sector. The poor have been able to get out of the trap of exploitative employment through organization into self-help groups and management of a collective bank account. The private sector has been able to procure good quality products at competitive rates from the livelihood groups. Scaling this model to other sectors in the economy can have a significant impact on the city’s economy. 6. In scaling up developmental planning, there is no leapfrogging over participatory processes Processes are critical to the success of any development project. In rolling out best practices, we often transfer the products but cut short the processes. Including people’s perspectives even in citywide plans will require setting up of an inclusive dialogue. 7. Working with local institutions is critical for success CAP has engaged with local NGOs and civil society members to deepen its understanding of local issues which has helped the team to develop relevant proposals increasing considerably the odds of success. 8. In a multi-agency environment, mechanisms for cooperation must be developed Agra has several institutions with overlapping roles and domain areas. Through CAP it has been possible to bring some of them together on a common platform. However, there is need to institutionalize this cooperation. City governments cannot be perceived as low and weak in the hierarchy of decision -making and should be able to provide the stewardship role through appropriate placements. 9. Avoiding dependency through long-term capacity building support NGOs need to work with communities towards self reliance. Even though initial intervention may cause dependency, long-term hand holding and capacity building of communities can help create community-friendly systems for development that become part and parcel of their lives. The extended support under KSUP and CSYP will help sustain many of the CAP initiatives.


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14. Sustainability Seeking and obtaining additional resources CAP has received additional resources from USAID and Cities Alliance to deepen and widen its scope /develop the strategy for a roll-out on a citywide basis. These funds have come through the following projects and will allow CAP to sustain its interventions till March 2008:

• Kucchpura Settlement Upgrading Program (KSUP) for sanitation improvements along the MHW, in particular in Kucchpura village (construction of household toilets, improvement of drains and pathways and setting up of a wastewater treatment system;

• City Development Strategy (CDS) for provision of technical assistance to the city government to implement JNNURM; and

• Cross-sectoral Youth Program (CSYP) to improve access of young people to livelihoods/create assets that will enable them to participate in community/city development initiatives and replicate the existing livelihood initiatives.

CURE has also written other proposals to access resources to continue ongoing interventions, in particular to build upon the ideas generated under CAP. The proposals submitted include a nutrition and health intervention plan to the Development Market Place, The World Bank; a plan for full development of the MHW to GSTA, USAID; and a project for rickshaw pullers to American India Foundation.

Developing local capacity Local capacity within the ANN and the Agra civil society has been enhanced. From critical and uncooperative partners these agencies are now more actively engaged in urban development processes and are key to sustainability. Sustainable interventions Women have been empowered and can engage clients on their own. CAP is facilitating a long-term production order to put women fully on their feet. Bank accounts, SHGs, and development of physical infrastructure are being seen as attempts at sustainability. Mainstreaming with JNNURM JNNURM resources are being seen as critical to sustaining the CAP strategy and approach. With CDS support , CAP will be able to provide technical assistance to the ANN to address slum issues. 15. Way Forward Urban poverty reduction is about improving access to basic infrastructure services and livelihoods. In Agra , sanitation , among all the services , and lack of employment are seen as critical for poverty reduction. The way forward would be to continue to build upon the organized tourism economy of Agra, opening up avenues for the poor to tap into it. However continued support to the communities and the government are critical for sustainability. CAP has established a brand identity and all future interventions are flowing through the CAP umbrella. This is ensuring stability in the minds of people


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Annexure 1: Inception Workshop Recommendations

Inception Workshop: Crosscutting Agra Program Date: 17th and 18th October 2005 Recommendations by Sector Experts The CAP team had invited three distinguished sector experts from SWM and livelihoods. They were taken around the communities and sensitized with problems and issues of each of the communities. Mr. P U Asnani is a highly experienced solid waste management expert and his earlier experience in working in Agra helped in addressing solid waste management issues in the city. He suggested that study of underground drainage be commissioned with ample public participation. This would lead to a substantial decline in the costs of solid waste management. Agra should rally around to utilize funds that should flow in from JNNURM as Agra is one of the top contenders for them. The JNNURM would be ins trumental in improving the roads, drainage, slums, etc. in the city. He also suggested that the CAP team should prepare an exhaustive list of the ongoing government-run programs and schemes in the city. This would be useful in networking and coordinating with the necessary government agencies. According to Mr. Asnani, if the government is planning to relocate the slum families or build LIG flats for them, it is important that the felt needs of the people be understood and a study be undertaken on the number of families willing to shift to these buildings and what there requirements and expectations are. Recommendation by Mr. P U Asnani, Solid Waste Management Expert With regards to developing ANN as a Zero Waste Zone, Mr. Asnani suggested a few steps that would facilitate the process. Theses are as follows: § Letter to be issued by the ANN Commissioner personally addressed to all the employees of the

ANN. § Boards to be fixed displaying public awareness messages with regards to sanitation, health, etc. § Two separate dustbins to be placed in each room to collect recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

Since in offices 90% of the waste is recyclable, disposal will not be a major issue. § Tiles with pictures of gods and goddesses to be placed all around the Agra Nagar Nigam, as this

would deter people from spitting on the walls. § The sweepers/Safai Karamcharis and the Class Four employees should be taken into confidence

and consulted to ensure support from this section of the workforce. § They should be explained the benefits that they would reap from keeping the complex clean. They

should be made aware that waste should be treated as a resource as it can generate income for them.

§ The ground floor should have information boards and interactive message boards to attract attention, generate curiosity and spread awareness among the visitors.

§ A self-sustaining vermicomposting site should be set up on the rear side of the ANN complex as a model site for the city.

§ There could be school trips arranged to the ANN complex. Recommendation by Mrs. Naina Shah, Vice President EXNORA Mrs. Naina Shah, Vice President EXNORA, presented cases from several cities where EXNORA is active and has transformed waste into income generating activity with active participation of the community. She suggested that it is very important to have an efficient garbage collection system in place, with persons identified from and by the community itself. She put forth the concept of cascading the banks of the Yamuna to hold back the solid waste from being blow n into the river unobstructed. Plants will be a low-cost option and will also lead to landscaping of the river front as well.


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Some of the other environmental waste to income ideas like detergents from lemon peals and egg shell manure were among other options for waste to income, which are already profitably and practiced in other EXNORA cities. She proposed pro-consumer oriented solutions, which would bring profitable and practiced benefits to the rag pickers and solid waste workers. Recommendation by Mrs. Ranu Bhogal, Livelihood Expert Mrs. Ranu Bhogal, Livelihood Expert, also did the rounds of all the five communities along with other sector experts. She made the following observations and suggestions , which she discussed with the CAP team.

• Surplus labour; • Insufficient capital for investment; • People mostly uneducated, unskilled and without any capital; • Increased automation of industry implying fewer jobs ; • Change in trends leading to a slow death of traditional products, branded products preferred,

etc.; • Urban poor have no productive assets; • They lack work space for any activity; and • They have no common property resources to fall back on.

According to Mrs. Bhogal the options available for the communi ties are:

• Self-employment; and • Wage employment

The communities face an environment that is hostile with increasing social disturbances and rent seeking by regulators as well as the underworld. Mrs. Bhogal emphasized the following prerequisites for a successful enterprise:

• Access to resources(of raw materials); • Skills; • Markets; and • Management of a group enterprise (when investment is beyond the scope of one individual).

To overcome these challenges she charted out a work plan for CAP: • Understand communities and their situation (skill sets, vision/dreams, preferences, extent of

indebtedness, how they are dealing with the environment, etc.); • Get deeper understanding of the basket of existing livelihood choices ; • CURE to undertake a value chain study of livelihood activities with potential for value addition

(chain hook, brushes , etc.,) ; • Map industrial and cottage industry units in and around Agra where some linkages could be

established for outsourcing; • Promote skill enhancement programs (with support from DIC , etc.), along with

entrepreneurship development among women and youth; • Link up with SIDBI for technical and financial support, explore possibilities with other financial

institutions and agencies active in livelihood generation in the urban sector; • Link up with the tourism industry for manufacture and supply of goods ; • Study the service sector for opportunities for self-employment; and • Create a pressure group on behalf of the urban poor for protecting their legitimate livelihood

rights.


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Annexure 2: SWOT Analysis for Setting Up of Mughal Heritage Walk

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

• MHW setting has good attraction potential for tourists-an idyllic riverside, small agricultural plots separated by diked walkways, a skyline dominated by the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. Added features include a 350-year-old Mughal garden irrigation system of aqueducts and step wells.

• Tourism market draws millions of visitors annually to the city. Alternative visitor opportunities to “monument tourism” are viable/critical for growth of industry.

• CAP has assembled monument information, prepared area trail maps/brochures, trained tour animators from local communities and organized them into a MHWE.

• Communities are participating in heritage tourism under CAP.

• CAP is supporting micro-enterprise/skills development, business management capacity, and access to sanitation services.

• Local government and tourism associations support the venture.

• Guild has agreed to produce signage to the monuments on the east bank of River Yamuna.

• Agra has a reputation for being tourist unfriendly.

• Currently, Agra tourism is solely linked to monument tourism featuring three World Heritage Sites. Few tourists spend more than one day in the city.

• Agra lacks a city tourism development/master plan.

• Tourism institutions have competing authorities.

• Uncertainty exists regarding land tenure/pr operty rights and/or resource rights and future government plans for the area. There is little research/agreement/partnerships around these issues.

• The Heritage Walk organizational or management capacity would have to be built from the bottom up. (CAP livelihood programs have created an understructure that could be built upon.)

• Basic infrastructure, such as telecommunications, services, and sanitation facilities, are lacking.

• The niche market is wide open for a different “value plus” experience.

• The area offers both a rural agricultural and community tourism experience. The area has almost 500 years of Mughal garden and agricultural history. It was the original location of the empire.

• The project has the potential to be self-supporting and to improve the quality of life in the area through increased reliance on solid waste management/wastewater disposal programs than on pesticides.

• Opportunities for partnerships abound. Expressed support can be enhanced and institutional support can be established. The project has the potential to serve as a much-needed best-practice model for other Agra communities.

• The policies and future management of the Agra Heritage Corridor and Taj National Park are unknown. Kucchpura borders on Mehtab Bagh. There will be growing emphasis for this area to be part of the Taj Mahal complex and incorporated into the Taj tourism experience.

• Tourism and economic change impact communities. The size of the Heritage Walk operation would have to remain small and tightly controlled to preserve the resource and improve the product.

• It is unknown whether individuals and communities can work together successfully in a business venture. Only planning and experience will tell whether competition will divide communities.

• The absence of visible action after building stakeholder expectations could create discouragement and bitterness. Immediate follow-up is required. Skepticism and strong business interests in the private tourism sector slow the pace of participation. The Tourism Guild seems unwilling to change existing methodologies and to adopt new paradigms.


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Annexure 3: Agra Tourism Assessment Recommendations by Daniel Mattson, Director, Heritage Design Tourism Assistance Date: June 2006 Within the Crosscutting Agra Programme (CAP), I was asked to assess the current condition of Agra tourism, make recommendations for its enhancement, and look at the role of the CAP approach to community projects within that fram ework. The following comments on Agra tourism are based on my experience and best practice models from working in various parks and cities in various parts of the globe over many years. They are confirmed by Mr. Debashish Nayak, Heritage Walk innovator, based on his cumulative experience working in various cities around the country and abroad. Agra tourism has been traditionally based on monument tourism. Visitors see the Word Heritage Sites of Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sikandra-and then leave. Why would visitors stay longer? Why see another monument once you have seen the best? What else is there to do here? The answer from the visitor’s viewpoint is not obvious. What does Agra have to sell? What can Agra do to improve its tourism economy, to keep visitors here longer? What are your future assets? The answer to that is the same everywhere: it is the ‘sense of place’ of where you live. For place is not just the land (or in this case the city), its heritage and its people – it is all three. What makes you unique from anyplace else in the world is this combination of who you are. It is important to see what these combinations of elements are, and then preserve and enhance them. If you lose this, you lose your future. Tourists increasingly want ‘authentic’ experiences. No one really travels to a place for just ‘ecotourism, ‘heritage tourism’, or any of the dozen other labels commonly used. They travel for a combination of all, to really experience a place. What are those elements for Agra? The obvious is the Mughal City of the 16th-17 th centuries. Not just a few monuments, but the entire Mughal city: how was it planned out, how did its people live, and what were the various parts of society, what does the city mean in history? Tourism is all about visitor experience. This is the bottom line in building a successful product. Visitors want to experience place but also have a variety of interesting and enjoyable ways to do it. They need basic services of restrooms and wherever those opportunities are offered. They want at least rudimentary levels of sanitation and safety. The want to be oriented to a place, know where they can go, what they can see. It is the same for all people-locals and visitors. Reveal Agra Agra has an important hi story stretching back thousands of years before the Mughals, and was instrumental in Indian history in the centuries since the Mughal era. Agra’s people represent the span of this history. It is seen in the arts and trade, workshops, community layouts, b uilding construction and detailed architecture elements of Agra’s various neighborhoods and communities.


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A united citywide focus should be to ‘reveal’ Agra. This means cleaning it up, removing those elements that hide its true nature. It means making it accessible to visitors and providing them opportunities to experience it. It means creating tourism opportunities that better the quality of life of the communities, the beauty and authenticity of the city, and that provide lasting economic benefit. If tourism is the major economy of Agra it must be taken very seriously and involve everyone. Think of the city as a tourism factory, where all members of the city have a role and a job in production. If the factory production is sustainable and profits increase, investments have to be made in equipment and improving workers capabilities. Tourism is the driver for the real aim: economic and Social Development. Tourism should never be developed for the visitor first, but for the local people. Cleaning communities, improving living conditions and as Debashish Nayak says ‘getting the city back to the people’ provides the very basis for draw to the city from visitors. Visitors are looking for this authenticity. Something of value to the community will be valued by visitors. But if you look just at this ‘big picture’ it is too overwhelming to think of accomplishing. The vision must be kept in mind, but attention focused on small bite-size pieces and accomplishments. Instead of waiting for government to do it, it has to be by the people for the people. It has to be driven by community initiatives and motivated by economic gain. You reclaim the city one house, one street, one community at a time. The role of the city should be to encourage and support this effort. Educate and Empower The people need to be educated about their heritage. The concept of the Mughal City needs to be sold to local people as well as to visitors. A sign banner with a map of the Mughal City superimposed over the present day city w ould help. Everyone should have some since of the heritage of Agra. A city heritage group should hold workshops and encourage community organizations and businesses in renewal efforts and possible ways they can benefit from tourism. Empower communities by providing models and spokespeople from successful community-based tourism programmes. Small neighborhood-based tourism cooperatives and other business models are the key to change this change. Education efforts should also focus on tourism hospitality training. Visitors want to interact with local people, but they do not want to be hassled. They do not want to feel they are being taken advantage of or cheated. Community enterprises should protect their reputation, realizing that treating visitors as their guests is directly tied to the success of their venture. There should be an inventory of various architecture elements in the communities, resulting in a guide to architecture that provides a common language, understanding and importance of this resource. Guidelines should be developed for each block, neighborhood or community, as needed. These should steer community clean-up, renewal and restoration efforts, and guide city planning.


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Branding ‘The City of Taj’ has been a good brand but it is locked in the idea of monument tourism dependent on Taj Mahal. ‘Agra of the Mughal Empire’ is better. Claim the Mughal Empire. The city that was the capital of one of the most powerful empires in world history has that right. Agra is the finest intac t example of an early Mughal city; it has the first and best preserved Mughal garden in India (Ram Bagh). It is the original burial place of the Babur, the empire’s founder. This approach not only provides the context for Agra’s story, but it creates a wider global interest in Agra and expands the opportunities for interpretation. Agra becomes a regional center for understanding and bringing to life the Mughal Empire, not just home of its remnant structures. Specific Recommendations A visitor centre should be established in the city close to Agra Fort in Old City. This location emphasizes the value in the area and will be a catalyst for urban renewal. It should be placed in view of the fort and other features. It should emphasize the use of colorfu l graphics instead of words to create excitement and dissolve the language and literacy barrier. It’s five themes should be:

The Mughal Empire Mughal Agra Agra before the Mughals Agra after the Mughals Agra’s People and their Arts

The visitor centre should serve as an anchor for heritage walks that radiate through the market and other nearby neighborhoods, as well as to the fort and other monument features. There are good possibilities for heritage walks through other communities of the city. CAP Heritage Trail Study Area The east bank of River Yamuna is rich in Mughal heritage and semi-rural communities. It was here that the Mughal emperors chose to build their palaces and pleasure gardens. In keeping with Mughal sense of symmetry, the east bank development should reflect that of the west bank. These east bank Mughal structures and their adjacent communities could be linked into an extended river walk. Imagine this scenario of the not-to-distant future: At Ram Bagh you can walk back in time experiencing the fragrant gardens and hear fountains of the ingenious irrigation system as Babur planned it. From there you can continue south on Mughal walls that overlook the river far below and views of Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. The walkway connects the fabulous monuments of Chini Ka Rauza and Itmadu-ud-Daulah, while winding through narrow streets of adjoining communities. Along the way, you can rest and have tea or coffee under an awning concession, or dine at a community cooperative café. Continuing on you walk by small artisan


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workshops. The possibilities continue down the river around the bend to Mehtab Bagh and the fabulous view of the Taj Mahal. There are many other tourism-related micro-enterprise and community --- cooperative business opportunities within this CAP Heritage Trail study area. An obvious one is engaging the many plant nurseries in the community-- in the effort to replant and bring Ram Bagh back to life. The important thing is to start – just do it. People get caught up with planning: ‘we need more planning’, or ‘it’s a dreaming too big’. I guarantee you that this is the same situation all over the world. The solution is to right now start doing. Build even some small success, and it will grow. People need to see action; they need to see something on the ground to believe in. Doing now even the simplest things mentioned in this report will be a catalyst for change. Daniel Mattson Director Heritage Design Tourism Assistance USDA Forest Service [email protected] 001-509-680-0485 phone www.heritagedesign.org June 16, 2006


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Annexure 4: Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise: The Business Pan In order to initiate a more sustainable approach to the Heritage Walks, the tour animators have been federated into a small enterprise group known as the Mughal Heritage Walk Enterprise (MHWE). Issues related to their financial sustainability have been addressed through a business plan that lays out the incomes and expenditures for the Heritage Walk and other actions required for making the MHWE functional. Objective for CAP: Ensure sustainable threshold income for tour animators by setting up a regular tourist flow to the MHW No of animators/business partners: 8 Names: Proposed Threshold Income:

1000 pm per animator for the first year= 1000x8x12= 96000 per annum 1500pm per animator for year 2 = 1500 x 8 x 12 = 144000

Cost of business implementation: Year 1 Non-recurring expenses: Purchase of cell phone: Rs. 3000 + 1200 connection cost Setting up of a bank account: Rs. 500

Recurring Expenses: Mobile phone: Rs. 1000 pm for business call Access to Internet services: 1 hour per day; 30 days x Rs. 50= 1500 Travel costs to pick up tourists/banking: Av 1 trip a day: Rs50 for Rickshaw = 30x 50= 1500 Other communication costs/purc hase of registers/bill books/meetings among the group/submission of applications , etc.: Rs. 1000 pm Flex posters for hotels/public spaces: Rs. 5000 Purchase of souvenirs, etc.: Rs. 100 per tourist = 100x 1000 Year 2: Non-recurring expenses second year: Purchase of computer: Rs. 30000 Purchase of furniture: table, 2 chairs, fan (Rs. 2000) Recurring expenses second year: Rental for office space: Rs. 500 per month Mobile phone: Rs. 2000 pm for business call Access to Internet service: Rs. 1000 per month = 1000 x 12=12000 Travel costs to pick up tourists: Av 2 trips a day: Rs. 50 x 2 for r ickshaw = 100 x 30= 3000 Publicity pamphlets: Rs. 20000 Purchase of souvenir: Rs. 100 x 2000

Total Target for Year 1: 96000+4200+500+1200+1500+1500+1000+5000=110900 Tour c harges: Rs.100 domestic tourist group

US$ 10 = Rs. 450 International tourist per person to include scroll, souvenir Total demand: 120000/8months=14000 pm/400 per tour=35 tourists per month or 1 tourist a day or total 280


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Tourist Flow Year 1 Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April 10 20 30 50 60 60 40 10 Year 2 (Tourist flow to increase one and half times Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April 15 30 45 75 90 90 60 20 Group Tasks:

1. Set up bank account in the name of MHWE 2. Meetings with hotel Industry:

a. Mr. M ahatam Singh b. Taj Hotels c. Grand Hotel d. Clarks Shiraz e. Others

3. Letters to tour operators 4. MOA with the Tourism Guild to guarantee 280 tourists, display of posters, training in

housekeeping, night stays, publicity to MHW, supporting the development of food stalls , guest rooms and improvement of MHW (give sheets and towels) – signing MOA with USAID-ANN-MHWE

5. Setting up a desk at the Taj Mahotsav/ railway station, etc. 6. Meeting with India Tourism/UP Tourism and distributing folders 7. Maintaining records/accounts 8. Working out the repayment plan for loans.

Loan for year 1: Rs.15000/TAs return @ Rs. 50 per tourist. Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April 10 20 30 50 60 60 40 10 500 1000 1500 2500 3000 3000 2000 1500 Loan for year 2: Rs. 75000 TAs repay @ Rs. 100 per tourist Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April 15 30 45 75 90 90 60 20 1500 3000 4500 7500 9000 9000 6000 2000 +

balance

9. Participation in improvements of the MHW 10. Awareness about guest facilities.

CURE Tasks 1. Setting responsibility 2. CCF – credit for purchase of cell phone/with recurring monthly costs, furniture, computer in the

second year 3. Arranging meetings and supporting MOA with Tourism Guild 4. Meeting with railway station/Railway Ministry 5. Printing of publicity material and distribution 6. Souvenir designs/display carts, etc. 7. MHW improvements 8. Setting up the guest services.


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Annexure 5: Minutes of Meeting -Lessons Learnt Workshop Crosscutting Agra Program 11th April 2007

Minutes

The meeting started with the introduction of participants. Dr Renu Khosla, Director, CURE and Team

Leader CAP, gave a short briefing about the project and the objectives behind conducting the workshop.

She stated that the underlying idea to organize the workshop is to share the lessons learnt in the last

one and half years of the project implementation, discuss the emerging issues with the stakeholders as

well as showcase the achievements and the process under the initiative. She also brought to light the

contributions of the various stakeholders and the active partnerships between CAP and the Nagar

Nigam.

After the introductory remarks, Dr. Khosla gave a presentation on the CAP activities and achievements

in the areas of livelihoods, sanitation, solid waste management and partnerships with stakeholders. The

representatives from the communities further added their own experiences from the project and how

they feel it has made a difference in their lives. CAP facilitators Meera, Geeta and Rashmi also spoke

about their work and learnings from the CAP. They brought out the changes that they have seen in the

community and how that has helped build their own confidence about community-driven processes.

Meera also spoke about the Balwadi and the nursery training that she received at IIT Delhi. Community

representatives such as Sunehri Lal from Katra Wazir Khan spoke about the awareness programs and

the positive impact on house-to-house waste collection.

The Municipal Commissioner, Shri. S.S.Yadav, joined the workshop and highlighted the need for good

practices in Agra. Throwing light on the achievements and the lessons learnt from CAP’s interventions,

he stressed the role of RWAs and Mohalla Samiti’s in keeping the city clean and how people’s

participation could change the scenario of the city. He thanked the CAP for organizing the Experience

Exchange Program to Ahemedabad which was a learning experience for all the participants. He also

appreciated the participation of community women who were also there in the workshop and stated that

such awareness and capacity building efforts on the part of civil society were needed. The municipal

Commissioner also discussed the JNNURM programme and how the city is gearing up for reforms and

the respective changes that are needed to be made in the structur e and functioning of the local

administration. In conclusion, he stated that the ANN will be willing to put up a matching fund for scaling

up of some of the activities under CAP to other parts of the city. Everyone appreciated the

Commissioner’s efforts and Mr. Chetan Vaidya, FIRE (D), informed the Commissioner and all

participants that the Heritage Walk concept of CAP was being taken up as a best practice case study


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under the PEARL initiative of JNNURM. The Commissioner mentioned that this was a good beginning in

the direction of city development.

Mr. Suresh Chand , Executive Engineer, spoke about the activities that were undertaken and shared

about the extent and outreach of CAP. He underscored the relevance of development organizations and

claimed that CAP has, to a large extent, been a bridge between the Agra Nagar Nigam and the

communities.

Mr. Ramesh Kardam, Programme Officer, DUDA , stated the provisions under JNNURM and that DUDA

has already laid out plans for basic services to the urban poor in the slums focusing on a citywide

sewerage network for the slums, sanitation and community toilets. He stressed the fact that NGOs can

be extremely helpful in organizing the work and helping DUDA in reaching out to low-income

settlements and slums. Civil society organizations should inform DUDA about their interventions and

constantly work together to extend maximum benefits to the slum people. For other problems, people

are invited to meet him at his office in ANN.

Dr. D.Dayalan, Archeological Survey of India, gave an informative presentation on the future plans of

ASI and its activities with the people of Agra. He stated that the communities adjacent to the

monuments can repair and renovate their areas for better services and the toilet at Kucchpura can be

repaired. He also stated that the toilet, which is in shambles , fell under the purview of ANN and, if the

improvement work is limited to renovation, the concerned authority could go ahead with its plans. No

new construction could be allowed, but if the structure already exists, then renovation or improvement

work could well be initiated. Dr. Dipankar Saha from Central Pollution Control Board gave a

presentation on the environmental conditions of the River Yamuna and the urgency to take corrective

actions.

Mr. Chetan Vaidya, FIRE (D), presented a documentary film on the toilet construction initiative of Sangli

in Maharashtra and stressed the need for community participation. At the end, Mr. Kulanand Joshi from

the Bhagidari Cell, Delhi Secretariat, gave a presentation of the various initiatives taken up under the

Chief Minister’s Bhagidari Program with the RWAs of Delhi.

Mr. Rajendra Singh, VC, ADA , was greatly impressed seeing the livelihood products being prepared by

women of Katra Wazir Khan and Kucchpura and assured that if the groups could come together w ith a

sample of shoe cover s made from tissue paper cloth, ADA might definitely think about extending a long-

term order to the group.


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The workshop was followed by a field visit to Marwari Bastee and Kucchpura area where the

participants saw the toilet construction activity and the information centre. The participants were also

taken to Mehtab Bagh and Humayun Mosque where the tour animators gave information on the

monuments and their history.


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Annexure 6: Paper Presentation

Linking Sanitation and Livelihoods: Agra Communities and Private Sector at the Cutting Edge of Poverty Reduction

Dr. Renu Khosla Director, Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence

C 2 Green Park Extension, New Delhi 110016 [email protected]

Scavenging for Toilets: The Cinderella Municipal Service

Poor-urban communities are the last to receive basic municipal services. While water has been recognized as an entitlement and supplied to slum households under a humanitarian statutory proviso, sanitation remains the Cinderella service, receiving the least attention. The sanitation-water supply access gap is enormous, even though like for water, poor families must daily scavenge for private spaces to defecate and urinate.

Sanitation encompasses a set of three key services that include toilets, wastewater disposal and solid waste management. Piped sewerage networks for private toilets rarely reach into squatter neighborhoods, although being located along or atop city drains these ‘self-builders’ connect themselves, unaided. Only a small proportion of slum settlements are served through community – municipal toilet facilities; usually very poorly maintained, if not out of service altogether and without adequate water supply. Home toilets are expensive and unaffordable, and in conditions of extreme poverty, sanitation’s claim on household budgets is arguably lower than for water. Some families cope by building small pits inside homes that women scavenge daily or every few days. Others

defecate in the open, although open spaces in cities are progressively shrinking and taking a toll of urban social capital. Deficient wastewater and solid waste disposal services while creating unsanitary conditions in cities at large generate unbearable, health-risk environments in slums that get missed altogether. Sanitation inequity equals disease equals opportunity loss equals poverty. Leif motif for slum drainage is shallow-open drains whose insufficient carrying capacity/poor construction causes household wastewater to flow into and out onto equally badly built settlement lanes, submerging the surface level water pipelines or draining into the ground water that is drawn up through hand pumps for drinking. Poor pay heavily for private medical treatment from frequent episodes of illness that result from such poor drainage. Municipal mandate for solid waste stays at picking garbage from neighborhood waste stations; even this function has been rendered ineffective by rapid urbanization together with squatter


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urbanism, and the sheer magnitude of waste that needs to be carried out/managed. In order of priority, slum areas are served last and low affordability for hiring private services sees waste dumped into open spaces in and around the slums. An Unequal World: Excluded for Sanitation Exclusion of poor from an effective sanitation service can be attributed to the: § Unbundling of Water and Sanitation Services in the Municipalities. This disconnect

has resulted in the overlooking of those water resource management components that relate to sanitation such as protection of water sources through better disposal of solid waste and wastewater; addressing the environmental dimensions of which can mitigate the direct and indirect impacts on human and ecological health.

§ High investment for installing underground sewerage systems with pour flush latrines, wastewater disposal networks, solid waste clearance procedures as compared to water supply, both municipal and household (septic tanks/pit toilets versus water taps). It is not unsurprising therefore to see the tilt of municipal investment towards water supply with just minimal sanitation service inputs.

§ Lack of legal land tenure of slum households that restrains municipalities from putting in the sewerage networks on the assumption that investing in slum sanitation is “money wasted” or tantamount to “rewarding thieves i.”

§ Low client power and control over city resources by poor who are unorganized, uninformed, ‘un -or-not-very-educated, unable to negotiate for their rights to equal services.

§ Low understanding among service providers/residents of the high and recursive costs of low sanitation on household/national economy. (Households spend a disproportionately high share of family earnings on accessing sewerage connections, pay and use toilets, medical care, etc. besides confronting great personal risk during open defecation, especially women.)

§ Negative political economy that keeps the poor underserved or last to get served by preventing ‘customerization’ through an insistence on free services that lowers accountability of utilities to poor (read free) users. This is despite willingness of poor to pay for legitimate services.

§ Required Level of Investment India has committed to achieving the Millennium Development Sanitation Target, of halving number of slum dwellers without access to sanitation by 2015. The first ever slum census in 2001ii had officially estimated 22.59% people in 607 towns iii/urban agglomerations as living in slums. The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO 58 th Round, 2002)iv counted 52000 slums in the country, home to an estimated 14% or 8million people, and suggested that every seventh urban resident was a slum dweller.

Cross -country, the Census estimated 26.3% people without access to any type of toilet facility (pour flush, pit or community)v. For slums, NSSO figures were 68% (17% in notified and 51% in non-notified areas).vi NSSO also estimated that less than half (45%) slums (30% notified and 15 % non-notified) were served by underground sewerage system and if ‘open’ drains were

Sanitation in Intervened Settlements in ADB Study (Source: Household Mapping)

Total % a. Households with individual toilets 73.6

b. Households using community toilets

0.74

c. Households defecating in the open

38.39

Note: Total percentages are higher than 100% as slum dwellers use latrines as also defecate in the open.


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excluded from the assessment, then the percentage dropped dramatically to practically nil. Nearly the same percentage (47%: 31% non-notified, 16% notified) lacked access to garbage disposal facility.

Data from two micro studies undertaken by the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) for Water Aid on ADB Water Policyvii and Delhi Jal (Water) Boardviii is presents the status of sanitation in urban areas in the country. The DJB study found nearly 40% slum families defecating in the open, even where there was access to a community toilet due to lack of water supply and electricity in the toilets (52%) and poor O&M (38%). Ground water depletion and drying up of tube wells at these complexes, reluctance of private

operators to turn on supplies to save on power bills were some resident complaints. While people carried water to wash themselves, without working flushes, toilets got choked. Despite the poor O&M, demand for toilets was high with residents contending that they kept these clean and in usable condition by paying for twice-a-day cleaning service. Nearly 23% residents felt that insufficient numbers of toilets caused social tensions as people jumped queues. People preferred defecating in the open to avoid tension. Ineffective solid waste management systems were reported in the ADB study, where one in every two residents said that they dumped waste in the open (54.2%). Water Aid-CURE estimated that to achieve 100% WSS/MDG coverage, levels of investment would range between $6.8bn and $33.4bn; bulk of which must target in-slum-sanitation for a significant impact.

Building the Sanitation Agenda: Drain-by-drain

CURE with the support of USAID recentlyix initiated the Crosscutting Agra Programme (CAP) with the overarching aim of building participatory structures for sustainable community sanita tion and livelihood initiatives in urban poor communities, within the framework of city’s macro economic set up and the national urban missionx. CAP is a partnership of local government agencies, civil society and private sector. The heritage city of Agra and the Taj Mahal, with approximately half its population of 1.2 million in slums, is challenged by a complex interplay of environmental, social, and administrative problems. CAP is designed around a cluster of lesser-known monuments united in a tourist trail and a set of low -income communities living in the shadow of the monuments. Its sanitation

Estimate Source Target/outlay Rps

(bn) $ (bn) EGCIP, 1997 Needed for new infrastructure (inc.

drainage, sewerage, SWM) to reach 100% WSS coverage

1,505

33.4

MoUD Outlay given in 10th FYP doc 514 11.4 UNICEF/WHO, 2002

Urban MDG targets for WSS (2000 to 2015)

304 6.8

Source – Drinking Water and Sanitation Status in India, Water Aid India, 2006


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interventions envisage setting up processes for communities to participate in the design and implementation of slum environment, trail area and river front improvement activities, decentralized solid waste management systems, community toilets, zero waste zones and promote environment behaviour change and micro enterprises from waste.

The Heritage Trail Area and Sanitation Problems The Heritage Trail area comprises a family of six lesser-known monuments, close to but not as often visited as the Taj Mahal, and five low -income communities (urban villages) in the neighborhood of these monuments. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) tools and stakeholder consultations were used to rapidly unpack the sanitation and livelihood problems around the Trail.

Privately paid household collection systems covered only part of all settlements. Waste from included and excluded households generally got dumped in open spaces in side the community or in the Yamuna River bed. Huge mounds of cow dung generated from local dairy farms and other local economic activities such as cloth fragments, plastic and foundry scrap, auto parts from repair shops, etc. remained inside the settlements in the absence of a formal/regular waste disposal mechanism set up by the local government.

Two of five settlements did not have access to either private or community toilets and defecated mainly along the riverbank, in agriculture fields, or squatting over open drains. Although toilets had been provided in the remaining, number of seats was insufficient and O&M appalling,xi even where these were managed through private contracts. People were reluctant to pay and use these facilities due to poor affordability. Women indicated that they either waited for the sun to set or defecated under cover of darkness before sunrise. In-slum drains had been built by the municipality but connected only part of the settlement. The unlisted settlement (Marwari Bastee) had neither drains nor paved pathways. Platforms around community Standposts were both worn down and unconnected to wastewater drains, resulting in pools of stagnant water and a sanitation mess. Pucca drains were discharging untreated water and solid waste into the Yamuna River. The Heritage Trail road was lined with open/choked drains. Food waste from informal food vending was being dumped into these drains. Municipal drinking water fountains for the public ran continuously, flooding the surrounding area.

The Strategy

Community Mobilization and Organization

CAP recognizes the importance of involving the community and local government in the design, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation of flexible programmes. The project approach is therefore


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aimed at mobilizing, organizing and empowering poor people to take an active role in designing and implementing community-centered initiatives. Community building processes with support of trained facilitators and locally identified community animators have resulted in the formation of a range of Community-based groups (self-help and savings groups, livelihood groups, solid waste committees etc. Community visioning and mapping workshops using physical models, have helped people to identify and prioritize needs, develop and implement local action plans and raise demands with local agencies for rights to social and civic services. An affirmative community-government dialogue has been initiated through which voices of the vulnerable are being heard. At the community-level, fostering people's participation has meant expanding and diversifying beyond the project framework. Expressed concern over the lack of schooling facilities has been followed up with a fee-paying-community managed pre-school using a mobilization grant for purchase of equipment, training of worker and part payment of her honorarium xii. The pre-school has an enrolment of 65 children and a regular participation of 25-30.

Reaching the Sanitation Goal

Decentralizing Solid waste management One time community clean-ups have been undertaken in settlements in partnership with the Agra Municipal Corporation (ANN) to remove the large mounds of waste accumulating in the

area. Effectiveness of the existing house-to-house waste collection system has been improved. Decentralized aerobic composting in barrels started following a series of community demonstrations and consultations. Residents agreed to segregate wet and dry waste and store in separate bins inside the home from where the traditional /private waste collector collects the wet waste using an improvised cart and bucket. After a secondary screening, she tips the organic waste into the composting

barrels. For this she continues to get paid by residents and receives an additional payment of Rs. 3 per segregated bucket. Residents use barrels placed at the end of each lane to tip dry

waste. Discussions are underway with rag pickers to collect recyclables from dry waste bins. Their involvement is seen as a means to broaden the scope of segregation and support income generation. Community will develop plans on compost use. The activity has led to a visible reduction in waste in open areas. School children are harbingers of sanitation messages and

sanitation behaviour change. CAP works with schools within the project area to reduce open defecation, promote household waste segregation, and improve community sanitation and greening. Managing solid waste and wastewater disposal along the Heritage Trail is critical to improve the Trail Area and increase flow of tourists to the monuments. Consultations with key stakeholders (farmers, plant nursery owners, market associations, hawkers and vendors, ANN,


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ASIxiii, ADAxiv) are underway to develop a business model for SWM. Associations of youth will enter into a MOU with the ANN to collect and dispose solid waste along the Trail. ANN in turn will undertake drain improvements (cleaning and covering), road repair and pavement construction. Planning Inside out for Community Toilets

In order to bring about a significant reduction in open defecation practice, women have engaged in a discussion over toilet needs and location. Women’s small wish lists (shelf for soaps, hooks for hanging clothes, low fencing around taps to stop splashing, dustbins, open/able to be seen toilets for children) have been integrated into the final toilet design before tendering of physical work. ANN will pay for toilet construction even as women develop consensual

agreement over community management plans (cost of use, collection sys tem, O&M plans, etc.). In a win-win situation, community youth will be employed in the construction work. ANN will also undertake a one time clean-up of all community toilets in the project area. From children

to adults, the message on toilet use will be spread through the school programme.

Zero waste zone: Beginning change from within ANN’s commitment to sanitation is demonstrated by converting its own premises into a zero waste zone. Consultation with Corporation cleaning staff helped to evolve a was te collection plan. Every desk was provided a personal dustbin for dry waste. Every room got a dustbin for wet waste (tea cups and lunch packets) and a spittoon. Every corridor got a large bin to assemble all room waste before transferring to the waste sta tion. The cleaning staff decided on use of money generated from sale of scrap paper. This has been used for buying better cleaning equipment.


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Wastewater disposal Standpost platforms linked to drains linked to soak pits for rainwater recharging has significantly improved settlement sanitation. It has also raised aspiration levels in the poorest of the 5 settlements. For the very first time, residents have articulated a demand for paved pathways and pucca housing. Linkages have been established with local elected representative to fund these from local area funds. By enlarging coverage for house-to-house waste collection, a significant reduction in solid waste flows into drains is envisaged. However, wastewater discharging into the river will require cleaning up. The natural gradient as land slopes into the river is

being used to set up a cascading system for wastewater clean-up with residents (children and youth) made responsible for greening, beautifying and monitoring.

Fisher folk as partners Fishing activity along riverbanks presents an opportunity for community clean-up. Fisher folk have been found to bring to the shore plastic waste that hooks onto their fishing lines. This waste is discarded on the riverbank, where it stays till monsoon rains raise the water levels and carry the waste downstream. Rag pickers also overlook thin/wet plastic waste with low economic value. Consultation with fisher folk and rag pickers is planned to develop a system for waste collection and removal.

The Livelihoods Chain Analysis The livelihood agenda under the project interweaves the sanitation plan. Its aim is to deepen and widen the scope of existing livelihoods by promoting sustainable linkages between the city’s economy and poor people’s jobs. The business enterprise model for SWM and monument guides has been planned on the Heritage Trail route. Besides creating space for residents to market indigenous products to the tourists, trail beautification with services (tea and toilets) is proposed in partnership with local agencies and the Tourism Guild. As a test case, two existing skills among community women (sewing and incense stick rolling) are also being developed to fulfill a demand within the tourism industry for bags (shoes, newspapers, laundry) and incense sticks. CAP is providing the connect between production and marketing and developing capacities among women to design, budget, borrow or invest for better incomes.


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Institutionalization and Sustainability: The Bigger Picture CAP aims to demonstrate a model of community-government partnership. Its primary objective is to set in place mechanisms of voice, and participatory planning and implementation. The attempt will be to institutionalize these arrangements/processes and create an enabling environment for pro -poor governance. Formal associations will be established where possible between CBO structures and local authorities for planning, service provision and monitoring. MOUs between people’s organizations and the local government will legitimize the relationships between the two, bringing the poor more specifically within the local government’s domain. This organic community inclusion processes showcased to the Government of India as city development strategy (CDS with funding support from Cities Alliance) and city development plan (CDP) will open a window of res ources under JNNURM for citywide infrastructure investment and urban poverty reduction.

Mobilizing Communities for Sanitation: Foot printing History Delhi, the national capital, is a conundrum of problems. Its economic attractiveness has attracted large number of poor migrants into the city, who have squatted in a sizeable number of informal (illegal) slum settlements (1190 in 1998) and live in highly unsanitary conditions. In February 1998 NIUAxv, was approached by UNICEF to facilitate a process of community mobilization for enhancing school enrolment under the Primary Education Enhancement Project (PEEP). NIUA helped facilitate community-building processes in approximately 300 low-income settlements, organizing residents into neighborhood groups with the support of a team of field facilitators, supervisors and NGOs, trained at NIUA. Community demand for basic WSS services led to an expansion in the project objectives in 2002 and a partnership with Care’s Promoting Linkages for Urban Sustainability (PLUS) program to address the other building blocks for holistic development, including sanitation. The 11000 residents of Udham Singh Park in the heart of an industrial area in the city were confronting severe sanitation problems; industrial waste and pollution that was choking low capacity in-settlement drains, uncollected household waste littering drains/community corners, shallow drains/construction over them leading to a drai ning of wastewater on the streets and submerging low lying water pipelines and contaminating the water source, high incidence of open defecation due to inadequate toilet facilities and a large silted drain causing household flooding during rains. Community consultations helped develop a plan of action for sanitation. Communities participated in a settlement cleanup drive with support from local authorities. Under the Right to Information Act residents demand information on sweeper responsibilities and duty hours, leading to a more regular service. Interactions between service providers and community members resulted in better understanding of each other’s concerns. For example, local officials expressed difficulty in taking their carts inside the narrow lanes of the settlement. Community members agreed to dispose of garbage at the appointed site. Families agreed to store garbage inside homes under “own a household waste bin” campaign and appropriate dumping. Residents identified space for community toilet and began negotiations with local elected representative for toilet block improvement. Drains and roads were constructed through local area funds. Information was generated on sanitation problems using a wide range of indicators developed in consultation with the residents in community workshops. This information was digitalized and integrated into CBIS-S xvi.


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Setting it within the City Economy The approach is to contextualize the project within the framework of city’s main economy, tourism and create a win-win situation. Products and partnerships with the Tourism Guild, associations of large and small hoteliers, tour operators in and outside the city, tour guides are actively cooperating to upgrade the city’s heritage and tourism culture. Visibility to the Trail through hotel websites, brochures, navigation plans, beautification, is critical to the success and sustainability of the twin agendas of sanitation and livelihood.

Creating the Information Flow: Setting up the Sanitation CBIS in Agra

Community-based Information System (CBIS) is a tool for pro-poor reform and governance. It links small information generated in community visioning workshops as community resource and household maps to city spatial maps using GIS software. The organic process captures people’s perceptions of service availability, quality, accessibility and level of satisfaction. Under CAP, people have built the information base on their solid waste, toilet and wastewater systems using pebbles, sticks and

stones, drawing on pavements and open spaces. Transferred from the ground, the information has been digitizes, integrated with City property tax maps and customized for information retrieval, analysis and investment planning. In addition, spatial contours of the Trail are geo-mapped to monitoring investments/linkages between the Trail and people living in its shadow. Scaled up on a citywide basis with resources from Cities Alliance, the CBIS will serve as a powerful and need based information tool.

Conclusion

This project is about linking sanitation and livelihoods through participatory change management. It is about building partnerships with communities an d between organized groups

Community Managed Toilets in Pune: Agra begins to learn from a National Best Practice The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) took up a programme for constructing 418 toilet blocks with 6958 toilet seats for 500,000 or 84% city slum residents in 1999. PMC had provided very few toilets in slum areas till then. Besides being expensive, exclusion in designing of toilets resulted in their low utilization. Making a departure from accepted procedures, the Municipal Commissioner invited bids from NGO for building these toilets, creating space for poor to participate in the design, construction, and management plans. Besides generating savings (NGOs worked on no-profit basis), this ensured ownership. Institutional constraints were addressed using a pro-poor filter. Project resources came from the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (The National Sanitation Programme), a funding window available to local authorities for sanitation services to slums. Getting consensus on the proposed plans in the local council ensured political buy-in and sustainability. Community consultations by NGOs helped develop local management committees and reach agreements on user costs/payment plans.


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of the poor and local government authorities and private sector agencies. Sound and appropriate sanitation management is seen here as an opportunity to link key stakeholders for poverty reduction and environmental improvement. Traditionally, sanitation services are the responsibility of public authorities. However, in this case Agra’s low capacity to bear the cost of investments, operation and maintenance has left large sections of poor un-served. Firm partnership with the private sector and communities can build and improve slum environments and quality of lives. The first citywide CBIS will be a major achievement in creating a two-way information flow on demand and supply, improving the effectiveness of services and creating the space for a dialogue between organized communities and government officials and representing their service needs at the local government level. i Grover, Vrinda From the periphery to the centre: A rights based approach to urban poverty 2002; Pg 52 ii Census of India, 2001 http://www.censusindia.net/results/slum1.html iii Areas with population over 50000 iv NSSO 58th Round, July- December, 2002 v http://www.wssinfo.org/pdf/country/India_san_02.pdf vi Non notified areas are areas not listed as slums by the respective municipalities, corporations, local bodies or development authorities. vii Water Aid: Water for All? Implementation of ADB’s Water Policy in India: A Review. 2006 viii CURE: UWSS Delhi Mobilizing Poor for Improving Services as part of Delhi’s UWSS Reform Strategy, March 2005 ix August 2005 x Government of India has launched a Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2005 xi A recently built community toilet connected to a septic tank was already overflowing from an open manhole, perceived to be a major risk to young children xii The honorarium of the worker is met partly from student fees and partly by project subsidy. The project support will be sustained till the fee becomes regular and is able to fully cover the cost of the worker. xiii Archeological Survey of India xiv Agra Development Authority xv National Institute of Urban Affairs, think tank to the Ministry of Urban Development. The author was Project Team Leader and Associate Professor Urban Poverty at NIUA. xvi http://www.niua.org/newniuaorg/cbis/cbis_home3.htm

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