Urban Habitat

The Tata Trusts contribute towards affordable and sustainable housing for the urban poor. They do this by demonstrating technology and design for good quality affordable housing, and facilitating security of tenure and access to credit.

Over the past year and a half, the Trusts have been working with the Government of Odisha on a pioneering law called The Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017. The state government reached out to the Trusts to seek their help in its implementation.

The Trusts brought-in the required technical support and expertise, procured agencies to conduct drone-based surveys and helped make the implementation transparent, efficient and speedy. The Trusts also helped digitise data, train local NGOs on conducting the household surveys, and guided Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in handling data and interpreting the provisions of the Act, along with building capacities for effective execution.

By deploying drones, the Trusts adopted an innovative technology tool for mapping slums and collecting data through mobile and web applications. This was the first time that drones were used for geo-fencing slum boundaries and producing ortho maps. The Trusts also facilitated establishment of the Slum Dwellers Association (SDA) with participation from each household for ensuring equal participation from the community and facilitating consensual decision-making by all. By actively involving local communities, more than 1,800 slums consisting of over 125,000 households have been mapped through drone surveys. Land rights certificates were awarded to over 51,000 households, while around 1,100 government officials and involved stakeholders were trained on land rights and liveable habitat components. Along with this, a dedicated Revenue Support Cell was set-up at the state-level for identifying land portions, the classifications of which could be converted into tenable rights after granting in situ land rights certificates.

The Trusts are currently working with all 114 Urban Local Bodies in the state for promoting liveable habitats. They have partnered with organisations of repute and stature to share their valuable insights. Some of these organisations include the Omidyar Network and the Norman Foster Foundation -- headed by Lord Norman Foster, one of the most eminent contemporary architects globally.

This programme addresses the water, sanitation, housing and living condition requirements of the urban poor. It involves creating linkages with government programmes like SBM, demonstration of appropriate technologies for sanitation and waste management, and processes related to involvement of communities in planning and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure.

The Trusts have partnered with the Government of Odisha to provide technical and handholding support to promote liveable habitats that provide appropriate housing and living environments for the urban underprivileged. For slums that were granted land rights in 2018, a pilot for transforming them into liveable habitats was initiated in partnership with the Norman Foster Foundation. The master plan for the first slum, Nolia Shahi in Konark, which has been developed by the Norman Foster Foundation and approved by the local community and the Odisha Government, has subsequently been completed. Work is now underway with the support of a multi-departmental group set up by Odisha's Department of Housing and Urban Development for creating the required public infrastructure.

An MoU was also inked with the Odisha Government for establishing the Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission 'Jaga'. A 'Jaga Diwas' was celebrated on February 17 marking the beginning of the process of transitioning into new habitats. The Trusts intend to recruit over 100 Jaga fellows in all ULBs in Odisha for a period of one year to support effective implementation of the Jaga mission activities.

Persistent efforts of the programme have resulted in making 16 slums in Odisha open defecation-free, and more than 1,500 households have been connected with safe water supply. The Trusts installed five incinerators in the toilets of one locality, Godam Sahi to carry out waste treatment. In Varanasi, the Trusts have provided technical support to the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) for the assessment, plan of action, strategy, and guidance for implementation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) practices.

This programme works with the government to improve capacity of local governments and community-based organisations. The Trusts have also partnered with academic organisations for relevant research on urban issues. They have supported a two-volume publication that highlights the state of architecture and housing in India, while addressing issues surrounding the housing crisis with UDRI. A pressing need for housing in India has made this a focal point of a key government programme. A film on the housing situation in India can be viewed here.

The Trusts are building community engagement and participation in the urban planning – amongst this is the partnership with UDRI for the Mumbai Development Plan and Greater Mumbai Development Plans.

In Odisha, the Trusts have entered into a partnership with the local government to provide technical and handholding support to promote liveable habitats that provide appropriate housing and living environments for the state's urban poor. In Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Odisha, the Trusts have linked over 1,600 households to the Swachh Bharat Mission for toilet construction, and have been successful in making 16 slums in these two cities open defecation-free.

The Trusts also work with the Varanasi Municipal Corporation to support implementation of SBM in the city. This includes providing specialised human resources to support planning, capacity-building and monitoring of key activities.

In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the Trusts submitted a detailed mapping cum-assessment report on Solid Waste Management (SWM) in 90 wards followed by a detailed plan of action on SWM with respect to immediate, mid-term and long-term engagement. An Information, Education and Communication (IEC) plan was developed with suggested tools and strategy for these wards and their associated stakeholders in the city, along with an IEC roll-out plan in campaign mode.

The Trusts have conducted training programmes on capacity-building for key stakeholders including sanitary inspectors, supervisors and representatives of third parties engaged in waste collection and also for the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) officials associated with SBM. The Trusts have completed a ward-profiling exercise in three wards of Varanasi and identified key areas of intervention.