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Abstract
Rapid urbanisation has increased pressure on the infrastructural facilities in the cities, especially in the low-income urban informal settlements in all parts of the world. The Millennium Development Goals[1] called for halving the proportion of people without access to water and sanitation by 2015. But India is yet to accomplish the goal for the indicators of sanitation. This paper presents results from a field survey conducted in the three slums in Delhi in the year 2014, examining the existing water and sanitation facilities and its demand by the urban households. Using semi-structured interviews and focused group discussions (FDGs), this qualitative study brings out the structural, financial and cultural dimensions to sanitation adoption and usage. We found that the non-existence of sewer lines and poor provision and maintenance of community sanitation facility were the major concerns of slum dwellers. The construction of private sanitation facility in slums has exacerbated their unhygienic status, instead of improvement. Therefore, we advocate the improvement in supply and maintenance of Community Toilet Complexes (CTCs) and shift to environment friendly methods of feces disposal as the solutions to urban sanitation obstacles. The findings can assist the authorities and policymakers for sanitation intervention in urban slums.
[1]http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html