Background

The Slum Networking Project (SNP), Ahmedabad is an innovative approach for the improvement of slums. The Slum Networking Project (SNP) brings basic infrastructure services, including water supply and sanitation, in an affordable and sustainable way to the slums. The project motivates and facilitates the target communities, local Non – Governmental Organizations and the private sector to work together in a unique partnership.

To improve the overall quality of life of the slum dwellers, Slum Networking Project was launched in 1995 by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in partnership with two city based NGOs, corporate sector and slum residents. Sewa Bank also participated as a community finance institution. Two NGOs – Gujarat Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) and SAATH were involved in community mobilization, building of community, facilitating implementation and capacity building of community members for monitoring service delivery.

It is a comprehensive project for upgrading / providing infrastructure in the slums and integrating it with the city's infrastructure. Though the major emphasis is on physical infrastructure, it also focuses on environmental up-gradation, sanitation, health education and income generation. A Pilot project was successfully completed at Sanjaynagar in the year 1996 - 1997. The lessons learnt from this experience have been utilized in scaling up the project. In phase (1) from year 1997, implementation of infrastructure services were completed in 18 slums covering 3,843 households benefiting 19,215 people. Initially in phase (1), the implementation of infrastructure services was done by private contractors and the role of NGO’s was to motivate and mobilize the slum residents to participate in the SNP programme, formulating the Community Based Organizations and building their capacities, collecting the community contribution, providing need based health, education and income generation interventions. From phase (1), it was learnt that while contracting the works to private contractors, it took nearly 1 ½ to 2 years to complete one slum. Hence, in November 2003, NGO’s were invited by AMC for implementing the infrastructure services in the slums. Therefore, in phase (2), the role of NGO’s extended to planning, designing and implementing the infrastructure works with the guidance and assistance of SNP cell.

Objectives of the SNP.

1. To improve the basic physical infrastructure within the slums, and in the homes with community, NGOs and Private Sector participation.

2. To enhance the process of community development through community participation / contribution and provide social services.

3. To maintain the infrastructure services through Community Based Organization.

4. To promote environment up-gradation in the city.

Components of the SNP:

• Physical Development
• Community Development
• Linkages with the city level services.

Physical Development: - This component involves the provision of essential basic infrastructure service.

• Individual water supply
• Individual sewerage connection
• Individual toilet blocks
• Storm water disposal arrangement
• Paved roads
• Street lighting
• Tree plantation  & Solid waste management

Community Development: - Activities aim at supporting the implementation of the project and at further improving the quality of life form part of this component.

• Formulating Community Based Organization and building their capacity.
• Community development activities like primary health care, immunisation, education, vocational training, skill up-gradation training, etc.
• To avail benefits under various Govt. Schemes.

Linkages with the city level services:- Actions required to link the slum level intervention to the city as a whole so as to increase the effectiveness of these efforts are :

• Enhancing water supply distribution around slums
• Strengthening the city's sewerage and storm water drainage system to facilitate integration of slums networks
• Improving city roads approaching the slum areas.
• Efficient and effective solid waste management at city level.
• The basic premise behind Slum Networking Programme is to provide the same level and quality of services as provided to a mainstream citizen of Ahmedabad city.

Supportive activities required to ensure professional management of the project and its effective implementation.

• Project formulation and evaluation
• Baseline Socio-economic survey.
• Management information system
• Project documentation and dissemination.

Financial Profile

 The project aimed at a partnership concept. So all the partners had to share the cost of the physical services and community development in the projections shown in the following table: 

* Community Corpus (Rs. 100) per household will remain with the association (CBO) and they will use it for the minor maintenance work.

NGOs are contributing additional funds from their own resources besides contributing 30% amount for community development. In absence of private sector contribution for infrastructure development, the amount is borne by the AMC. 

Agencies in the Partnership and their Roles.

• Slum Communities

o        Direct participation and ownership of efforts are to be ensured by sharing one third of the slum level physical development costs. The slum dwellers are to be made responsible for community level services and maintenance of these facilities, Neighborhood committees and special interest groups, like women and youth are to be formed with the assistance of NGOs. The community has to actively participate in the socio-economic programs and sustainability of the initiative and the partnership.

• Private Sector Companies / Charitable Organisation

o        The private sector company/Charitable Organization which becomes a partner in this process is expected to mobilize resources towards part cost (33%) of physical up-gradation of slum if they are ready.

Table: List of slums having private sector contribution

As a major private sector, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has committed to support 500 households for the slum up-gradation project implemented by Mahila Housing SEWA Trust in a phased manner of which CII has contributed Rs. 2000 per household in Sadgurukrupanagar, Odhav (165 hh) and B-Colony, Ghodacamp (70 hh).

• NGOs

o        The role of the partner NGO is initially to motivate and mobilize the slum dwellers to join the project and to facilitate community participation, formulating Community Based Organization and building their capacity, community resource mobilization, assist in health, education and income generation programs & planning, designing and implementing the infrastructure services with guidance and assistance of SNP cell.

• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

o        The AMC's main role is to facilitate all the activities and co-ordinate with all the agencies. Moreover, it will contribute 33% of the cost of physical development of slums, 70% of the cost of community development and 100% of the cost of individual toilet block and strengthening the infrastructure to link up the slum with the city level services. AMC will mobilize its own resources and also converge resources from other Central / State Government schemes such as Urban Community Development, Low Cost Sanitation, Urban Basic Services, Integrated Child Development Scheme and National Slum Development Programme (NSDP). It will be the AMC's responsibility to develop a comprehensive strategy for city level slum improvement and infrastructure needs. It will determine policies for land tenure and land prices, and implementation of 74th Amendment of constitution.

Results Achieved

As of December 2005, 28 slum communities covering 4,868 households benefiting 24,340 people had been successfully upgraded. Implementation of infrastructure works ongoing in 13 slum communities covering 3,835 households benefiting 19,175 people.

The SNP programme as on December 2005, has reached 8,703 families, making a significant contribution in the lives of 43,515 people in 41 slum communities of Ahmedabad. As on December 2005, the community members have paid a total of INR 1,35,72,000 (US $3,01,600) to AMC as their contribution towards the services under SNP, something never done by slum dwellers anywhere else in India.

A.      Work completed