Reforms in Urban Sector

As per 2011 Census, only 70.6% of urban households have access to tap water supply and 32.7% urban households have access to sewerage system. As per the information available with the Ministry of Urban Development, the Municipal solid waste collection efficiency in India ranges between 70% and 90% in major Metro cities, whereas in several smaller cities it is below 50% and main method of disposal of solid waste is by crude dumping in about 94% of the cases.

i. In order to supplement the effort of State Governments, the Ministry launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2005 with a view to provide financial assistance for creating infrastructure facilities in all the urban areas of the country for water supply and sanitation including solid waste management with a reform oriented agenda. The JNNURM has two sub-missions namely Urban Infrastructure & Governance (UIG) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small & Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). Under UIG component of JNNURM, 65 cities having population more than one million and State capitals are eligible for funding and the remaining towns are eligible under UIDSSMT component. UIG Sub-Mission of JnNURM is concerned, 100% cost recovery for Water Supply and 100% cost recovery for Solid Waste Management are two ULB Level Reforms to be achieved within the Mission period as per commitment made in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).

ii. The Ministry of Urban Development has also launched a scheme on 10% Lump-sum provision for the Development of North Eastern Region including Sikkim.

iii. Ministry of Urban Development has also formulated a Scheme for Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme in Satellite Towns Magnets of Million plus Cities (UIDSST). The objectives of this scheme amongst others are to develop urban infrastructure facilities such as water supply, sewerage, drainage and solid waste management etc. at Satellite towns/ Counter Magnets around Seven mega-cities.

iv. The Ministry of Urban Development is implementing the North Eastern Region Urban Development Programme (NERUDP) with the financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the capital cities of 5 North Eastern States viz. Agartala (Tripura), Aizawl (Mizoram), Gangtok (Sikkim), Kohima (Nagaland), and Shillong (Meghalaya) covering priority urban services in (i) Water Supply, (ii) Sewerage and Sanitation, and (iii) Solid Waste Management sectors. The scheme, which is spread over a period of six years from 2009-10 to 2015-16, includes following institutional and financial reforms to ensure improvement in urban governance, basic service delivery and operation and maintenance

(a) strengthening of municipal bodies – decentralization of urban services and transfer of responsibility and resources to ULBs;

(b) restructuring of PHED/municipal body and creation of one single city ring fenced area headed by a senior officer;

(c) migration to accrual based double entry accounting system and zation;

(d) rationalization and implementation of volumetric water charges, solid waste collection charges and other user charges for basic services

(e) Implementation of GIS based property tax system