SITUATION BEFORE THE INITIATIVE BEGAN
(A) Before Initiation of AUDA
• There are 152 villages close to Ahmedabad city. The civic status of villages and towns are village panchayats and town municipality respectively. These institutions find it difficult to meet with the increasing demand of infrastructure services of housing, water, sanitation etc.
• Further, these villages and towns close to the city likely to be merged in future to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Therefore, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) is established to improve the services in these villages and towns, before such merger takes place with AMC, so that the level of services would be on par with the infrastructure facilities of Ahmedabad city.
• 152 such villages and towns close to Ahmedabad City under the Jurisdiction of AUDA; need financial and technical support for development of basic facilities on priority basis.
(B) Situation of Services
• Presently the urban poor in Ahmedabad city as well as in villages and towns under AUDA live in either slums or dismantled housing built from waste without proper shelter from the weather and without any sanitation facilities.
• This is degenerative to the development of city as it is responsible for breeding of diseases and epidemics.
• The poor do not have much choice as the cost of land and areas in commercially available housing is too prohibitive with increasing transportation costs, the poor cannot afford to travel long distances to the work places.
• In view of the above, to make each urban area self-sustainable, AUDA has made provision for ‘Affordable Housing for Poor’ in each TP scheme through plots for EWS (Economical Weaker Section).
• The aim of AUDA is to make Ahmedabad LIVABLE and not make the mistakes of past in major / mega cities by not providing enough housing stock for the poor as urbanisation is inevitable for development. But it is our duty to prevent the ills of urbanisation; which the four metros of India has experienced in the past two decades.
• AUDA has initiated for providing affordable Housing with community services. AUDA in the near future will construct 1,00,000 such houses in an endeavourment to make Ahmedabad the most livable city in India ‘FOR POOR’. The advantages of which will be many.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIORITIES
The AUDA has therefore started planning work on priority to meet with the needs of urbanization :
(1) Preparing, finalisation and approving Town Panning Schemes (TPS)
(2) Constructing Housing for Urban Poor
(3) Providing Community Services.
The consequence of urbanization of villages and small townships need upgradation of infrastructure services to facilitate housing, water supply, sanitation, road, transportation, communication, education, health etc.
It is envisaged that AUDA will have to operate in 152 villages / towns for upgrading such infrastructure services. Priority has been given for TP schemes, roads and housing for urban poor with sanitation facilities. In this submission, the activities undertaken by AUDA for providing housing facilities for BPL (Below Poverty Level) families and community sanitation are presented.
FORMULATION OF OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
As a first step, town planning schemes were initiated in small townships and villages under AUDA area. and these TP Schemes in 66 villages & towns have been completed. It is relevant to mention here that for the first time in the country, the high special resolution data from SPACE APPLICATIONS CENTRE (ISRO) AHMEDABAD has been used for detailed urban land use planning covering AUDA area. After preparing town planning schemes, AUDA has been concentrating on providing various facilities such as road, bridges, electricity, housing, water supply, sanitation etc.
The present submission is highlighting Priorities to improve the living environment of urban poor by providing (A) affordable housing services and (B) community facilities which are basic needs of community.
HOUSING FOR EWS FAMILIES (AFTER TOWN PLANNING)
Scheme No. 1
- Gujarat town planning and Urban Development Act 1976 provides the reservation of land to the extent of ten percent or such percentage as near thereto as possible of the total area covered under the scheme, for the purpose of providing housing accommodation to the members of socially and economically backward classes of people.
- AUDA is identifying the Socially and Economically backward for which eligibility criteria is fixed.
- AUDA also extends financial and technical assistance for building houses to backward and economically weaker sections of society.
The scheme for building residential houses for socially and economically backward classes is as under :-
(i) Land for EWS class people is made available by AUDA free of cost under Town Planning Act and kept at disposal of AUDA.
(ii) AUDA identifies the socially and economically backward families by inviting applications on set procedures and allots land free of cost with a condition that they have to build their living house with their own 100% finance including all facilities such as water supply, sanitation, electricity etc.
(iii) AUDA also arranges facility of finance for construction of houses through banks. These are returnable loans in installments of 15 years; but with a condition that down payment of Rs. 10,000/- is made by allotee at the time of booking the land.
(iv) AUDA builds Residential Quarters and do not charge any supervision charges from the people but taking only actual expenses from beneficiaries as mentioned above.
The residential houses after construction, are allotted to registered applicants (EWS) on drawal basis by lot’s through computer.
Scheme No. 2
The second scheme for housing facilities provided by AUDA is VALMIKI – AMBEDKAR AWAS YOJANA (VAMBAY). The criteria fixed by Government is followed for allotment of houses . Applications are invited and financial and technical assistance for building their own houses are provided.
The features of the scheme are given below :
(1) Carpet Area: Approximately 17.15 sq.m.
(Room, Bath and WC)
Plinth (Built-up) area: 19.70 sq.m.
(2) Approximate cost of flat: Approximate Rs. 75,000/-
(excluding cost of land)
(3) Applicant should hold Below Poverty line (BPL) card.
(4) The allocation of the flat will be on draw-basis; which is conducted by authorised person in presence of public.
(5) The criteria for selection is that the applicant should not have land or building on his / his spouse or his adult child’s name within the limits of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation or Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority. In this matter, the applicant should give affidavit on stamp paper of Rs. 20/- alongwith the application.
(6) The following rules / regulations as well as terms and conditions are applicable and binding to the applicants, which are liable to changes from time to time –
(i) Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana Rules
(ii) Sale Purchase rules of state.
(iii) AUDA’s rules and regulations regarding establishing properties in its Jurisdiction.
(7) Intimation to public, regarding issuing application forms and final dates are done through public notice.
(8) The last date for submission of application and time and place intimated to public.
(9) Cost of application form: Rs. 50/-
(10) The amount to be deposited alongwith application: Rs. 1000/-
(11) The decision of the Chief Executive Authority, AUDA regarding the acceptance of the application form is final and binding to the applicant.
(B) COMMUNITY FACILITIES
SANITATION UNDER NIRMAL BHARAT YOJANA
• Community sanitation blocks were also implemented for preventing open defecation causing health hazards and inconveniences to the poor people.
• Community sanitation blocks are provided with water, good approach and electric lights for comfortable use even in during night and early morning.
• The local body (village panchayat and town municipality) i.e. democratically elected body have to allot land free of cost for community sanitation blocks.
• AUDA will finance from the grant under Valmiki – Ambedkar Awas Yojana and Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan
• AUDA entrust the work of operation and maintenance to NGO’s/ on pay and use basis.
• AUDA provides supervision for construction and land free and the contractor will construct the sanitation block, consisting of W.C., urinals and bathrooms on basis of BOOT system of tendering and put into commission.
4.0 IMPLEMENTATION
(i) Work done so far
During last 5 years, the 5905 houses have been completed and partly allotted and the rest in progress for allotment. In addition, 5488 house are under construction. As regards sanitation facilities, 128 complexes have been completed and further 120 such complexes are under construction.
(ii) A new approach in construction
A new approach adopted in EWS housing project at Prahladnagar in AUDA area, Ahmedabad
AUDA has adopted new type for its EWS housing project introduced typical type of Aluminium alloy shuttering having following salient features :
(1) The building is a monolytic structural members like walls, columns, beams, window chhajias and lofts etc.
(2) No need to plaster the walls.
(3) Speed of construction can be very high at the rate of four days per floor regardless of size, low rise or high rise.
(4) Single storey housing structures can be completed at the rate of one house per day.
(5) Geometrical accuracy together with quality of construction can be achieved in normal course.
(6) All concrete can be poured monolithically therefore leak-proof and joint less construction can be carried out.
(7) All floor walls in a room, floor ceiling, staircase can be cast in-place at a time which is very resistant in seismic condition.
(8) Alluminium alloy shuttering does not corrode like steel. Therefore, it can be reused several of times; so that cost criteria comes down together with high speed construction can be achieved.
(9) TMT steel bars are used to prevent corrossion.
(10) Maintenance of house is easy with achievement of cleanliness also.
PROCESSING OF THE PROJECT HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SANITATION COMPLEXES
After introduction of town planning, major obstacles are avoided. There is no significant or major obstacles met with, while implementing housing and sanitation complexes for the urban poor. There is generally a good awareness, motivation and co-operation from public itself. Some minor delay is experienced in selection of beneficiaries, fixing agencies for construction or delay in allotment after construction etc. But, they are all possible to attend and improve as system development takes place.
RESULTS ACHIEVED
The details of EWS housing blocks constructed and sanitation are indicated in para 4 above.
After allotment and handing over residential houses, the people have not come with any major difficulty and similarly in case of sanitation also, people are using the complexes satisfactorily. The people have got the experiences of many sanitation complexes existing undertaken in low cost sanitation scheme in the state with number of towns, pilgrim centres etc.
It is assessed that the housing scheme and sanitation complex pay and use basis are generally accepted by people and found very useful.
SUSTAINABILITY
• Owning a house is becoming popular as the cost is affordable and efforts are feasible to BPL economically weaker and socially backward families. They known that if they build their house the cost of 20 m2 area would cost atleast Rs. 2,50,000/- as against Rs. 75,000/- in AUDA. Further the general problem met with are obtaining clear title deed of land, management of collection of materials for house, quality control, time delay etc. AUDA is allotting land free with no other legal problems.
• People build their residence with in their means under the present scheme of AUDA.
• People need not migrate to a big city and live in slum.
• People can find employment and live conformably.
• Living with good educational facilities for children and health facilities.
• EWS families can enjoy the entire good regulated life and good environment.
LESSONS LEARNT
(1) A dedicated institutional arrangement for improvement in developing stage like AUDA, is a boon to the local self government institutions who are entrusted with the maintenance of basic needs of life.
(2) The initiation of civic facilities improvement must start with TOWN PLANNING SCHEMES.
(3) Experience of AUDA demonstrates that all the villages / townships in the area of AUDA would be possible to improve regarding infrastructural facilities in years to come positively.
TRANSFERABILITY
Appreciation of work done by AUDA is presented here indicates steps taken by AUDA leads to that this process can be replicated.
• Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) has awarded “AMA-METROCHEM OUTSTANDING MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2002” to the Chairman, AUDA for development of AUDA institutions for good management.
• The subject dealt with for achieving good management for (i) Making town planning work speedy (ii) Revamping financial management (iii) Revamping project implementation systems (iv) Making Development follow infrastructure provision (v) Revamping development control systems (vi) Building office infrastructure (vii) Reorienting governance – reaching out to people / building consensus and (viii) Raising resources
• City Managers’ Association (Gujarat) has awarded the “BEST PRACTICE AWARD 2000” to Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority for Recharging of groundwater through the development of Vastrapur lake on the Twenty sixty day of April 2000 at CMAG Best Practice Symposium held at Ahmedabad. This for reviving old abandoned lake being misused for discharges of waste water by the surrounding residents. The lake is now made free from discharges of waste water, deepened substantially to store large quantities of rainwater to facilitate recharging of ground water in the surround area and converted into recreation centre for the people as well as children.
