Bridging the Urban Services Divide in Hyderabad’s Informal Settlements
Hyderabad, the thriving capital city of Telangana, has experienced rapid urbanization in recent decades. However, this growth has been accompanied by widening inequalities, particularly in access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Across the city’s sprawling informal settlements, millions of residents struggle daily to secure reliable, affordable, and safe WASH amenities.
The urban services divide in Hyderabad is stark. While affluent neighborhoods enjoy uninterrupted piped water supply and well-maintained sewerage systems, the city’s marginalized communities often rely on precarious alternatives like public standpipes, water tankers, and makeshift latrines. This disparity not only undermines public health and community well-being but also constrains economic productivity and environmental sustainability.
To address this critical challenge, Hyderabad’s local government must enhance its capacity to plan, finance, and deliver equitable WASH services. This requires a fundamental shift in mindsets, policies, and practices – one that places the needs of the under-served at the center of urban development. Drawing on insights from the World Resources Report’s “Towards a More Equal City” series, this article outlines seven key transformations that can help Hyderabad bridge the urban services divide and unlock cascading benefits for the entire city.
1. Design, Improve, and Maintain WASH Infrastructure for the Under-served
Hyderabad has historically prioritized infrastructure investments in affluent and formal areas, overlooking the acute WASH needs of informal settlements. To rectify this imbalance, the city must:*
Priority Actions:
– Target WASH improvements in low-income neighborhoods: Undertake systematic mapping and assessment of service gaps in informal settlements, then channel resources to upgrade water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in these neglected areas.
– Ensure affordability and reliability: Implement tariff structures and subsidy schemes that make WASH services affordable for the urban poor, while also improving the quality and continuity of service delivery.
– Adopt climate-resilient design: Incorporate climate change adaptation measures, such as flood-proofing and drought-resistant technologies, to future-proof WASH infrastructure and safeguard vulnerable communities.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city’s Comprehensive Sewerage Master Plan aims to expand the sewer network and construct decentralized wastewater treatment plants, with a specific focus on informal settlements. This initiative, complemented by community-driven water access points and sanitation blocks, has begun to bridge the urban services divide.
2. Develop Affordable, Well-serviced Housing in Accessible Locations
Hyderabad’s rapid growth has fueled a severe housing shortage, forcing low-income migrants to settle in informal slums often lacking basic amenities. To ensure equitable access to WASH services, the city must:*
Priority Actions:
– Prioritize in-situ slum upgrading: Work collaboratively with community groups to upgrade infrastructure and tenure security in existing informal settlements, rather than resorting to forced evictions and relocation.
– Incentivize affordable housing near employment centers: Leverage zoning regulations, subsidies, and public-private partnerships to catalyze the development of low-cost housing units well-connected to job opportunities and WASH services.
– Promote rental housing options: Encourage the private sector and community organizations to expand the supply of affordable rental units, catering to the needs of the urban poor who cannot afford or access homeownership.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city’s Telangana Ku Haritha Haram program has funded the in-situ upgradation of numerous informal settlements, providing secure land tenure and basic infrastructure. Additionally, the Rajiv Swagruha Corporation has constructed affordable rental housing complexes near major employment hubs.
3. Adopt a Climate-resilient and Low-carbon WASH Infrastructure Trajectory
As Hyderabad grapples with the impacts of climate change, including heightened flooding and water scarcity, its WASH systems must become more resilient and sustainable. To achieve this, the city should:
Priority Actions:
– Integrate climate adaptation measures: Fortify WASH infrastructure, such as water treatment plants and sewage networks, to withstand extreme weather events and environmental stresses.
– Promote water conservation and reuse: Implement policies and incentives that encourage water-efficient technologies, groundwater recharge, and wastewater recycling to bolster long-term water security.
– Transition to renewable energy: Power WASH facilities with solar, wind, or other clean energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the reliability of service delivery.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city’s Disaster Response Force has undertaken measures to protect WASH infrastructure from flood damage, while the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has initiated a program to install solar panels at its treatment plants.
4. Integrate Alternative WASH Service Providers to Expand Access
In Hyderabad’s informal settlements, where municipal WASH services are often lacking, residents have turned to a patchwork of informal and community-based providers. To harness the potential of these alternative service models, the local government should:
Priority Actions:
– Recognize and regulate informal WASH providers: Establish frameworks to formally integrate informal water vendors, sanitation workers, and community-based organizations into the city’s service delivery ecosystem, ensuring quality standards and consumer protections.
– Facilitate public-community partnerships: Collaborate with neighborhood associations and non-profit groups to co-manage and maintain decentralized WASH infrastructure, such as community toilet complexes and water kiosks.
– Provide technical and financial support: Invest in building the capacity of alternative WASH providers through training, access to financing, and linkages to formal service networks.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has worked with non-profit organizations to construct and operate public toilet complexes in informal settlements, fostering a hybrid service delivery model.
5. Leverage Data and Technology to Enhance WASH Governance
Hyderabad’s WASH planning and decision-making have long been hampered by inadequate data and limited community engagement. To address this, the city should:
Priority Actions:
– Establish a comprehensive WASH database: Conduct detailed surveys and mapping to collect granular, spatially disaggregated data on access, quality, and affordability of WASH services across all neighborhoods.
– Empower communities as co-producers of data: Collaborate with informal settlement residents to crowdsource information on WASH challenges and service gaps, fostering transparency and accountability.
– Integrate data into WASH planning and monitoring: Utilize the enhanced data to inform evidence-based policies, target investments, and track the impact of WASH interventions, especially in underserved areas.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city has partnered with academic institutions and non-profit organizations to undertake participatory mapping of informal settlements, creating a digital database to guide WASH infrastructure planning.
6. Support Informal WASH Workers and Enterprises
Hyderabad’s informal economy is the backbone of its WASH service delivery, with millions of residents relying on water vendors, sanitation workers, and home-based enterprises. To harness this vital sector, the local government should:
Priority Actions:
– Recognize the contributions of informal WASH workers: Engage with and integrate informal water suppliers, waste pickers, and sanitation service providers into the city’s formal service delivery systems, providing them legal status, training, and access to credit.
– Improve working conditions and livelihoods: Implement policies and programs that enhance the safety, income, and social security of informal WASH workers, helping them sustain their essential contributions to the city.
– Tap into the entrepreneurial potential: Provide business development support, infrastructure, and market linkages to help informal WASH enterprises grow and innovate, expanding affordable service options for the urban poor.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city has worked with non-profit organizations to professionalize informal waste pickers, integrating them into the municipal solid waste management system and improving their livelihoods.
7. Align Governance and Financing for Equitable WASH Service Delivery
Delivering inclusive WASH services in Hyderabad requires strong, coordinated action across multiple tiers of government, as well as innovative financing mechanisms. To achieve this, the city should:
Priority Actions:
– Strengthen vertical and horizontal coordination: Forge collaborative partnerships between the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana state government, and national ministries to align policies, pool resources, and harmonize WASH service delivery.
– Diversify WASH financing: Combine public budgetary allocations, performance-based grants, land value capture, green bonds, and other innovative instruments to generate sustainable funding for universal WASH access.
– Improve cost recovery and target subsidies: Implement equitable, well-structured tariff systems and targeted subsidy schemes to ensure the financial viability of WASH service providers while safeguarding affordability for the urban poor.
Hyderabad’s Approach: The city has leveraged the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a national urban development program, to secure funding for WASH infrastructure upgrades in informal settlements.
Conclusion: Towards a More Equal and Resilient Hyderabad
By embracing these seven transformations, Hyderabad can chart a more equitable and sustainable path for WASH service delivery. Prioritizing the needs of the under-served, fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, and harnessing innovative financing and technology will be crucial in this endeavor.
Bridging the urban services divide is not just about improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. It is about unlocking cascading benefits that enhance the city’s overall prosperity, health, and climate resilience. As Hyderabad continues to grow, ensuring WASH equity must be at the heart of its urban development strategy – a pathway to a more livable, productive, and sustainable future for all its citizens.
The lessons from Hyderabad’s experience can provide valuable insights for other cities in India and the global South as they strive to deliver equitable WASH services and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By working together, local governments can unlock the transformative potential of urban WASH to create more equal, prosperous, and resilient communities.
