BMC8217;s microplan for city slums

MUMBAI, May 14: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Health Department has formulated a microplan' for the development of slum are...

MUMBAI, May 14: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Health Department has formulated a microplan8217; for the development of slum areas to give a boost to the cleanliness drive8217; launched with much fanfare early this year.

The new microplan envisages adoption of a large slum pocket population: approximately 10,000 by each of the 176 civic health posts on a pilot basis. The guidelines of the plan are similar to a beat system where municipal employees will be assigned a designated area to monitor and immediately redress problems pertaining to drainage system, water supply, accumulation of garbage and hygiene.

8220;The idea is to focus attention on the smallest street, lane and bylane in the city by deploying municipal employees, who are expected to be aware of every civic problem in the area assigned to them,8221; according to additional executive health officer, Dr R M Kathuria. In the first phase of the ongoing programme, a full time medical officer from the health posts is heading a team which is involved in a sample survey of 100 households in each slum.

8220;The survey, whose findings will be analysed later this month, is expected to furnish information about the logistics of the prevailing conditions and needs,8221; Dr Kathuria told Express Newsline. 8220;The rationale is that aggrieved residents living in small housing colonies or slum areas should not be forced to run from pillar to post trying to meet senior officers when the problem can be tackled by a junior employee,8221; he added.

In Mumbai, the slum population comprises over 50 per cent of the total population and under Indian Population Project-V 176 health posts were created, each managing a population of about 60,000 slum dwellers. Further, the objective of the plan is to provide environmentally acceptable situation8217; to slums. It includes 8220;adequate and spatially well distributed supply of potable water one tap for 20 households, sanitary facilities in the form of adequate number of toilets one per 10 households, storm water drainage for surface water disposal and enough receptacles for solid waste collection.8221;

A chart outlining the action plan and deadline for action has been circulated among all ward offices. However, the civic authorities admit that it would be a difficult task. According to the health department officials, 8220;The microplan is an important constructive approaches towards improvement in urban primary health care for the marginalised poor population.8221;