Introduction

Low cost sanitation program began in 1981.Poor sanitation, is undoubtedly the most distressing problem of the low income settlements/ katchi abadis. The new immigrants succeed somehow in building houses but they fail to make proper arrangements for disposal of excreta and waste water i.e sanitation. The cost of flush latrines and underground sewerage built officially by contractors, is too high for poor people. OPP discovered low cost methods, through research and taught the lane residents, through technical and social guidance, to construct sanitary latrines in the homes, underground sewerage lines in the lanes and secondary sewers with their own money and under their own management. While trunk mains and treatment plants remain the responsibility of the government. This constitutes the component sharing concept of development. The demonstration in Orangi has attracted the attention of other NGOs, CBOs, Govt. Departments and Local Municipalities. They are replicating the program in many places as described in section 1 on replication. Given above is the budget and staffing pattern of OPP-RTI's sanitation section which is looking after the work in Orangi, and also supporting and supervising projects in Karachi and several other cities. Following are some details of the self financed, self managed and self maintained low cost sanitation in Orangi.  

Statistics of Work in Orangi

Survey of Orangi – 1989 and 1997 – regularly updated since •

* 5,752 by people; 1,334 by Govt.

+ 282 by people ; 289 by Govt.

* These also serve Site and Gadap towns respectively. + Work in progress

These box trunks serve as sewage and rainwater disposal for 5,835 lane sewers, serving 93,537 houses. Work in progress is reported in the following section.

Development of Orangi Natural Nalas into box Trunks/Drains: A Part of External Development

The natural nalas (drainage channels) are the main disposals for sewage and rainwater. As per OPP-RTI designs these have been/are being developed as box trunks for sewage and rainwater disposal.See map.

CDGK is recontracting the work of the last remaining main nala – “Baloch” (out of the total 15). The design of the main Orangi nala is part of the KWSB’s S-III plan.

Since 1999, when work on one branch nala began, development into box drains of 10 branch nalas and a segment of the main (39,743 rft) have been completed, costing Rs. 86.89 million serving 3,365 lane sewers.

On one the Mianwali drain (6,862 rft.), with 5,460 rft. of the drain complete, further work has remained stopped since Feb’11. On another the Khairabad box drain work is in progress, as detailed below. On one more, the Sadiqabad nala, with 50% works completed, further work has remained stopped since end of 2008, advocacy continues for completion of the works. On Mominabad drain 15,558 rft., work on site began 800 rft. drain is complete. Meetings have been held and contacts maintained with the City Govt. engineers, the Executive District Officer W&S and the P&D Deptt. for facilitating implementation.

By Sept’09 CDGK begun work on site (as per OPP-RTI design) on the Khairabad nala Phase-I, 16,000 rft. serving as sewage disposal for 2,200 lanes (500 in Orangi and 1,700 in Gadap town). Technical support for work on site continues. Total 8,500 rft. box drain is complete, 700 rft. has been completed this period (Jun'11 to Aug'11). Total 12 houses owners have voluntarily dismantled parts of houses to make space for the construction. OPP-RTI designs and the process of construction have avoided evictions.

Union Council Development

There are 13 Union Councils in Orangi. Each Union Council has a population of between 50,000 – 1,00,000. Plan books of the 13 Orangi UCs were earlier completed. On request these are regularly provided to the CBO activists and other interest groups. The plan books comprise 1) maps of the UC and of the individual settlements within each UC, 2) documentation of existing situation w.r.t. sewage disposal, water supply, health, education, solid waste disposal, parks/playgrounds and 3) development needs- identification of the role of community/govt.

Efforts continue so that the City, Town, UC budgets are properly used for external development instead of being wasted on duplications/adhoc invisible works. Documentation, technical guidance, advocacy and community mobilization continues. As advocated by OPP-RTI and community activists and now the CDGK policy, main open drains have been /are being repaired and covered at many places. There is now more focus on external development, many existing main sewers are also being repaired while new ones are being laid.

In three UCs (UC5-6 & 7), out of the total 13, some internal development works remain in others these are mostly complete.

LOW COST SANITATION PROGRAMME EVOLUTION OF THE SANITATION PROGRAM INTO THE COMPONENT SHARING MODEL