| Author | Sharma, Rajesh |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. HS-96-15 |
| Subject(s) | Environmental policy--India--Delhi
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Increasing urbanisation and resulting environmental degradation in the Third World
cities has drawn attention of policy makers, researchers, academicians and all those concerned,
to look for alternative approaches for management of cities. Effective utilization of regulatory
and economic instruments has emerged as one of the approaches to address the growing problem
of environmental degradation in cities. This study explores the applications of regulatory and
economic instruments in key urban service sector of water supply for the city of Delhi.
Although there has been continuous augmentation of water supply in Delhi, the spatial
variations in availability of water across the city continues. Poor quality and limited availability
of water along with inadequate sewerage facilities have affected the health of residents in many
pruts of the city. The investigation of this study shows the inequitable distribution of water
supply spatially across the city. This combined with the inadequate sewage and wastewater
treatment facilities are seriously affecting the health of the citizens of Delhi. Because of
increasing pressure of population and economic activities, the demand of water has always been
more than the supply. The situation is even worse with sewerage facilities. The resulting
situation leaves a large section of the urban dwellers deprived of these basic services. This has
forced many citizens of Delhi to make their own ru1·angements to ensure a minimum level of
service at a considerable cost. To understand these arrangements and identify the related
expenditures, a primary survey was conducted in eight selected localities, which represent
different income groups, of South Delhi. The study presents such a:r,rangements and investments
made by the individual households of different income groups to maintain an affordable quality
of these services. The health impacts of the .existing water supply and sewerage services and
associated expenditures in the surveyed localities ru·e also documented.
Taking the expenditure on these rurnngements and the impact of the quality of water
supply and sewerage facilities on the health, an estimation of average monthly expenditure is
made. Based on these estimates, it is shown that the actual cost of these services is much higher
than what the citizens pay to the Delhi Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Unde1taking. These
individual investments reflect the households' capacity to invest in maintaining an affordable
level of these services. Such investments, thus, show the opportunities that exist but have
remained untapped so far because of ineffective use of regulatory and economic instruments.
The study identifies key potential areas where the regulatory and economic instruments
can be applied for better provision and management of these services. It suggests applications of
a mix of regulatory (permits and licenses) and economic instruments (user charges and
subsidies). The proposed instruments and problems envisaged in their implementation are also
discussed. |
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Amin, A.T.M. Nurul |
| Examination Committee(s) | Archer, R. W. ;Kammeier, Hans Detlef ;Tewari, Vinod K.
|
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok;
Regional flousing and Urban Development Office,
United States Agency for International Development,
New Delhi, India; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1996 |