ODA assisted habitat project in Indore

The ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) assisted Indore Habitat Project (IHP), under implementation since 1990, has been able to show that solutions to water supply and sanitation services need not be confined to what has been perceived as suitable to the income status of the area. The ODA Project covers slums housing, 35 per cent of the population of Indore, where it has been found that slum dwellers prefer to become rate payers if individual services are provided. Networking and an emphasis on community participation have triggered investment from the private sector and enhanced the chances of contributions from beneficiaries. Strong community groups together with committed NGOs interact at project formulation and design stages, participate in the execution, maintain the facilities, and manage cost recovery. The solutions that respond to demand that is revealed through a participatory process, are more sustainable because the community will have a sense of ownership for such solutions leading to proper use and maintenance. The significance of IHP lies in pointing to the need for further understanding of these solutions, especially on the costs and sustainability, when these solutions emerge as the choice of the community who are willing to pay for these services. It is therefore an opportune time to understand the circumstances under which these solutions respond to community demand revealed through participatory processes; how these can be made replicable and sustainable; and the institutional and public policy implications.