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Workshop on Citywide Slum Upgrading in Delhi

 

Organised by:

- National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

- Water Aid, India

- Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE)

 

Supported by:

- Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA)

 

27 August 2010

NIUA, New Delhi

NIUA, Water Aid India and the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) organized the Workshop on “Citywide Slum Upgrading: Challenges and Opportunities in Delhi” with the support of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA), on 27th August, at New Delhi. Nearly half of Delhi lives in its slums. Delhi’s approach to slum development has been primarily resettlement-based. Its complex institutional arrangements have made citywide slum development, including in-situ upgrading, a major challenge.

This Workshop was aimed at exploring the challenges to slum upgrading and inclusive development in Delhi, drawing from some best practices in other cities that have experimented with slum upgrading and integration. Specifically the Workshop was aimed at:

  • Understanding the challenges in citywide slum upgrading in Delhi within the context of the new and emerging framework for slum upgrading and access to basic services under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP);
  • Reviewing the Delhi Master Plans and planning provisions therein to identify need for reconfiguring norms, policies, legislations etc. for integrating slums within city systems;
  • Sharing some successful experiences from other cities including challenges faced in implementing upgrading projects; and
  • Developing a road map for implementing citywide slum upgrading in Delhi.

The Workshop was inaugurated by Ms. Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Ministry of HUPA. Ms. Deepti Mukherjee Director HUPA gave a background of RAY guidelines. Case studies were presented on citywide slum upgradation programs in Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Agra. Participants to the workshop included representatives of HUPA, Delhi Government, Delhi Slum and Shelter Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board, NGOs, international organizations, etc. Discussants included CEO of Delhi Slum and Shelter board, Special Secretary Delhi Bhagidari-Sanja Prayas, Director Mission Convergence, Delhi Government.

The following key issues emerged from the extensive discussions; Delhi’s new Shelter Board Act needs amendments to align it with RAY, the city needs to understand the magnitude of the problem and prepare a citywide slum development plan that is allied to Delhi’s development vision.