Community Access 2000: Raichur Urban Development Project

Admin ESG June 1, 2002June 5, 2023 0 Comments public consultation, urban development

Background

ESG had successfully facilitated a bid for Raichur Municipal Council of Karnataka under the new initiative of European Commission – Asia Urbs. Amongst a select few cities selected across Asia, the project, COMMUNITY ACCESS 2000, was implemented over two years in partnership with London Borough of Brent, and Horsens and Health International of Denmark. ESG was involved in its capacity as Associate Partner and Programme Coordinator on behalf of Raichur in the delivery of the project involving a comprehensive effort to improve urban, environmental, social and health planning for the city of Raichur located in the backward North Karnataka region.

Consultation workshop in Raichur in anticipation of the main project implementation, ESG had secured a small grant from National Foundation for India and German Technical Cooperation towards conducting a preliminary study of the urbanisation processes in Raichur. In May 2002, a consultation workshop was facilitated by ESG in Raichur. The workshop was well attended by key local government leaders and community representatives thus presenting a unique forum where the community could interact with its elected representatives. Participants enthusiastically voiced their concerns about major social, economic and environmental issues in Raichur thus achieving one of the major aims of the workshop. This formed the output of the workshop and the basis on which further research and planning work would be undertaken. (2001 – ongoing)

ESG has represented Raichur in a variety of national and international forums to present the effort including in the conference on “Cities, Poverty and Environment” organized by Hanoi People’s Committee and Citynet at Hanoi, Vietnam (July 2001), “Cities of the Future” organised by Indian Ministry of Urban Affairs and European Union in Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi (October 2000) and “City Networking for a Sustainable Future and Human Unity” organised by Auroville (February 2002).

August 2002

The Raichur study was at a crucial juncture at that point in time. The study team had consolidated and then included two new members namely Dr. Tekur and Mr. Rajmohan Pillai. Late Dr. Tekur, who was a community health expert concentrated on public health issues in Raichur city and Rajmohan Pillai who is an Environmental Engineer focussed on the environmental issues of the city such as the quality of drinking water, the effect of the RTPS on the general environment of the city and so on. The public health issues was narrowed down to the following primary issues:

Water
Solid waste Management
Sewage disposal
Nutrition.

As part of the survey on public health issues, few members of the community were already addressed. Questionnaires which had a few basic and simple questions were distributed among the 111 anganwaadi workers in the city and also members of a slum organisation called Community Development Society. It was hoped that opinions of close to 500 families will be tapped by this process.

Essential contacts with important members of the community had been made on the last visit to the city. NGOs like SEVA, NOPD and HRDS had promised help in the form of surveyors at the time of the primary survey in the month of September. That apart, the team also successfully liased with individuals from different government departments like PWD, KSSIDC,DIC, the Municipal Council etc and also from other vocational and professional areas like professors and lecturers from colleges; media persons; retired elders and so on. All the above mentioned individuals contributed significantly to the study by their valuable inputs in the form of leads or other kind of information.

Documentation

Raichur City – An Overview
“A Unique Consultation on Prospects for Raichur City Development”, May 2002: Download the PDF version here.
A comic book was developed as part of the Community Educational Programme, based on the film ‘Nammuru Chandaduru”, also developed by ESG. The comic book depicts the benefits of segregation and proper disposal of solid waste. Download the PDF version here.
A flipchart on the benefits of segregation of waste specific to the city of Raichur. Download the PDF version here.