| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation took up the challenge of implementing the revolutionary Slum Rehabilitation Policy 2010 and 2013. The crux of the policy was SUSTAINABILITY in every form – Financial, Social & Environmental which helps Ahmedabad city to achieve the key Sustainable Development Goals of ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
To become the partner of change, AMC invited prominent developers from private sector. They were entrusted with the task of transforming the slums into residential apartment with all amenities. AMC roped in NGOs to strengthen the process of reaching out to the people. The outcome was that every slum dwellers is having access the legal house with equal legal rights to women. The universal access to water, satiation and electricity facilities are provided at household level. Owing to the robust support of the NGOs involved, other socio-cultural & economic issues of gender inequality, unemployment, lack of education facilities etc. are also addressed effectively.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has become an instrument of change in transforming the living conditions of the slum dwellers; Rebuilding Hope, Restoring Dignity.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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The initiative is jointly implemented by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Private developer and NGO. Three prominent private developers are engaged in implementation of slum redevelopment project. A prominent NGO called Mahila Housing Trust – SEWA is engaged for this initiative.
Till date, eight slum settlements are in-situ redeveloped under which 2544 dwelling units with population of about 12,500 were benefitted under slum redevelopment policy 2010. Under Slum redevelopment policy 2013, nine in-situ slums redevelopment work is under construction in which 11,532 dwelling with population of about 60,000 will be benefited. Procurement process is underway for 13 slums for redevelopment under which 7325 dwelling units with population of about 35,000 will be benefitted.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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The process was initiated by conducting a socio economic survey of the existing slums in the city: 691 slums with 162,000 slum dwellers were enlisted in the socio economic survey, complete with total station maps and final plots delineated, following which builders were invited to put proposals for specific slum pockets. They were also encouraged to collaborate with NGO’s for facilitating a minimum consent of seventy-five percent of the resident’s of each individual pocket.
Once preliminary written consent was available; a validation of the socio economic survey was undertaken jointly by the AMC and the NGO, to freeze upon the slum households.
The developer entered into an agreement with each individual slum household, which was notarized by the Government. Photo Identity cards were issued to every household which were authorized by AMC and the builder jointly.
The slum pockets for the development were then jointly demarcated by the slum representatives, NGO and the AMC to arrive to a consensus.
The slum dwellers then registered a housing cooperative and passed a resolution to appoint the developer for their particular slum. These processes were facilitated by the NGO partner, ensuring a presence of women representatives on the committee.
The developer then, drew up the plan, as per the relaxed development control regulation, subsequent to which clearance was sought from the Slum Rehabilitation Committee to begin project implementation.
After the clearance, the residents were either provided transit housing or were facilitated to find alternative rental housing, the monthly rent for which is paid to the households by the developer for the entire period of transit.
Private developer allotted houses to slum dwellers and hand over the society to cooperative account for lifetime maintenance.
This initiative is implemented on public-private partnership basis. Project is funded by private developer. Private developer will receive transferable development rights equivalent to project fund.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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The Slum Rehabilitation committee constituted at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was responsible for notifying the slum areas, evaluating the proposals and assigning the fair value to the value of the plots under consideration. It also coordinated with all other concerned departments at AMC and the State Government.
The Housing Department at AMC worked out the modalities of the implementation of the programme, on ground after discussion with the selected private developers, communities and NGOs.
To become the partner of change, AMC also invited prominent private developers from private sector. They were entrusted with the task of transforming the slums into residential apartment with all amenities.
To strengthen the process of reaching out to the people in need, AMC roped in Mahila Sewa Trust recognized for its efforts in making the needy realize the dreams for shelter & dignity and enhance their living standards.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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• Eight slum settlements were successfully in-situ redeveloped. 2544 dwelling units with population of about 12,500 were benefitted under slum redevelopment policy 2010 in these eight locations.
• Universal access to water and sanitation facilities to all at doorstep level in all eight slum redevelopment locations which help to achieve the SDG indicators of 6.1 and 6.2 of SDG goal 6.
• Social security: Allotment of housing on joint ownership of woman – these would help in achieving the indicator of gender equality and empower all women and girls as per SDG indicator of 5a.
• In-situ slum redevelopment and providing access to safe house with no cost helps to achieve the SDG indicator of 11.1 of ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
• Land area of 65,550 sqmt were redeveloped in eight locations
• Private developers had mobilised about 47 USD funds for slum redevelopment in these eight locations.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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Challenges Faced & Addressed
Most of the slums were reluctant towards the rehabilitation dwellers. Many of them also practiced illegal hooch business and resisted strongly to shift to step- up housing.
It were the NGOs who took up the challenging task of taking forth the Social and Economic initiative- of getting consent of a minimum 75% households to initiate the program.
Consent letters were collected, signed, photography and videography done and the process of internal document verification began.
This stage observed yet another impediment for the project and that was the lack of identity & resident proofs of the owners.
Hence an alternate list of additional documentary proof was prepared like – jewelry bills, birth, and death certificates, School leaving certificates, etc. to ensure that the documentation could run through smoothly.
The developer entered into agreement with each individual slum household, which was notarized by the Government. Photo Identity cards were issued to every household which were authorized by AMC and the builder jointly.
Negotiations were done to determine the transit rental amount in presence of the NGO (Mahila Sewa Trust in this case) in order to ensure that the dwellers were not exploited by the builders.
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