Indian Low Cost Sanitation
Sanitation in India continues to be a challenging task. The low levels of household sanitation render the settlements as potential sites for a host of diseases. Lack of community involvement, public motivation and awareness attributes to sanitation problems.
ILCS, The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Low Cost Sanitation for Liberation of Scavengers was started from 1980-81 initially through the Ministry of Home Affairs and later on through the Ministry of Welfare. From 1989-90, it came to be operated through the Ministry of Urban Development and later on, through the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation now the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. The main objectives of the Scheme are to convert the existing dry latrines into low-cost pour-flush latrines and to construct new ones where none exist.
The objective of the Scheme is to convert/construct low cost sanitation units through sanitary two-pit pour-flush latrines with superstructures and appropriate variations to suit local conditions (area specific latrines) and construct new latrines where EWS households have no latrines and follow the inhuman practice of defecating in the open in urban areas. This would improve overall sanitation in the towns.
Towns are to be selected from the various States and Union Territories irrespective of their population criteria and also persons belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) households who have no latrines and defecate in the open in urban areas. Depending upon the prevalence of dry latrines, targets will be fixed. Priority is to be given to those towns which have a predominance of dry latrines. The Scheme will be applicable to all towns where dry units exist or for persons who have no latrines and defecate in the open.
The scheme is on ‘All Town’ coverage basis. The proposal can be submitted by the urban local body or organizations like Housing Board, Slum Clearance Board, Development Authority, Improvement Trust, Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Cantonment Board, etc. duly authorized by the State Government to the State Urban Development Authority for undertaking the programme. The concerned urban local body/organization has to give an undertaking prohibiting dry latrines in the towns thereafter.
The States should select NGOs having adequate experience in this field who will be funded maximum to the extent of 15% over and above the total project cost to be borne by the Centre and States based on the ratio of 5: 1 at different stages of implementation. Further, NGOs will be required to conduct a survey for identification of beneficiaries and the Urban Local Bodies(ULBs) will finalise the list of beneficiaries on the basis of the survey to be conducted within a year. NGOs will also issue biometric photo Identity Cards, to look after operation and maintenance of the converted units, and organize training/seminars for preparation of project reports and estimates by ULBs/Development Authorities (DAs) after ensuring willingness of identified beneficiaries.
The scheme covers all the EWS households which have dry latrines and constructs new latrines where EWS Household have no latrines. The Scheme is limited to EWS households only.
The scheme will be funded with Central Subsidy 75%, State Subsidy 15% and beneficiary share 10%. The second installment of the Government subsidy portion (i.e. with reference to total funds earmarked for a given. State/UT) will only be released after the State’s share for the first installment has been released. The subsidy will be released by Central Government directly. The funds will be released to State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) or any other agency designated by the State Government. The services of the NGOs and community extension units of the municipalities selected for Urban Basic Services programme could also be utilized for motivating the community and for technical help.
The upper ceiling cost of Rs. 10,000/- may be fixed for the complete unit of a two-pit pour-flush individual latrine with superstructure (excluding States falling in difficult/hilly areas). For the States falling in the category of difficult and hilly areas, 25% extra cost may be provided for each two-pit pour-flush latrine. In other words, in States falling in the category of difficult and hilly areas, the upper ceiling cost will be Rs. 12,500/- for one complete LCS Unit.
1% of total central allocation may be retained by the Ministry every year, to be utilized for MIS, Monitoring System, Capacity Building and IEC components. The IEC funds could be utilized for creation of awareness amongst the public on the advantages of using sanitary latrines, hygiene education in schools and colleges and Nehru Yuvak Kendras and Chetna Sanghs for non-student youth, carrying out surveys, newspaper advertisements and mid-term evaluation studies etc. States may also utilize or keep aside 1% of their allocation under this scheme for MIS, Monitoring System, Capacity Building and IEC components. The funds retained, if not utilized may be made available for ILCS projects. The IEC component may also include expenditure on field visits by the Ministry officials for better coordination with State Governments/Implementing agencies, outsourcing of manpower for speedy and effective implementation.
The Ministry will develop an IT enabled MIS and Monitoring System and similar systems will be created at the State and ULB level out of 1% earmarked for this purpose. MIS & Monitoring through quarterly Progress Reports along with Utilization Certificates which will ensure smooth release of subsequent installment of funds.
The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation directly. First installment of the Government subsidy will be sanctioned along with singing of Grant Agreement subject to the condition that actual release of central subsidy will be made in 2 installments related to actual demand of implementing agencies on their utilization capacity and field level demand. 25% of the subsidy will be released immediately after approval of the scheme.
The urban local bodies or the state agencies designated/selected by the State Governments may send their proposals to the State Government, who after approval of the proposals by the State Coordination Committee will forward the same to the Regional Offices of HUDCO. Regional Offices of HUDCO after appraisal of the same will send the same to the HUDCO Headquarters. HUDCO Headquarters will scrutinize the proposals and send them to the Central Coordination Committee.
The implementation of the Scheme will involve the following stages:
•Identification of beneficiaries for conversion of dry latrines in the State by the Local Bodies.
•Proposals for conversion of dry latrines and construction of new latrines in the ratio of 75:25 will be submitted by the Urban Local Bodies to the State Urban Development Authority (SUDA)/District Urban Development Authority. They will be discussed, approved and prioritized by the State Coordination Committee.
•Submission of viable projects by the States to the Regional Offices of the HUDCO.
• Appraisal of the projects by the Regional Offices of HUDCO and submitting the same to the HUDCO Headquarters.
•HUDCO Headquarters will scrutinize the project proposals and submit for consideration of the Central Coordination Committee of the Ministry.
•The Coordination Committee in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation will be constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary (HUPA). The other members of the Committee will be representatives from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Central Public Health Environment and Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), HUDCO and concerned State’s representatives.
•The role of the Central Coordination Committee will be to consider the proposals submitted by the HUDCO and release of funds.
•The Central Coordination Committee will meet at least once in every quarter of the year to have an overall review.
•HUDCO will ensure appraisal of projects and monitor the implementation of the Scheme through its regional offices.
Every State shall constitute a State Coordination Committee comprising of the representatives of Regional Office of HUDCO of the concerned departments of the State including the department dealing with social welfare to approve the project proposals at the state level and monitor the actual implementation including eradication of manual scavenging. The Committee will also ensure that the implementation of the scheme does not involve any cost and time overruns and strict monitoring of the same takes place at the State and local level bodies also.
