Assessment and analysis of the status of urban service delivery & urban infrastructure sector reform in India

This report analyzes the status of urban service delivery and infrastructure sector reforms in India. It aims contribute to the development of an urban strategy document for the US Agency for International Development (USAID)/India for 2003-2008. The assessment first highlights the current state of urbanization in India; status of the urban service delivery system (demand and supply in terms of resources and institutions); stakeholders and their roles; deficiencies and inadequacies in service provision; and the status of urban reforms in India. This results in a comprehensive analysis of the problems, practices, and performance of urban services, especially water supply, sewerage, solid waste, and roads. Next the report presents an overview of the urban reforms propagated by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992; the urban agenda, its progress, and current generation reforms, strategies and interventions of external organizations in urban service provision and the reform process, especially aided by the FIRE D Project of USAID. Emerging issues, gaps, and constraints in urban service delivery and reforms are identified. The report concludes with possible areas of intervention and strategies to address the constraints to improve urban infrastructure and services. Several annexes provide overviews of: the status of urban infrastructure and services in India (demand-supply gap analysis); selected water supply, solid waste and wastewater management projects involving Public-Private Partnerships (PPP); and externally funded urban infrastructure projects.