Community participation in Sanitation & Solid Waste Management - Opportunities and Challenges

One-day workshop will be organized over “community participation in sanitation and solid waste management- opportunities and challenges”. The workshop is scheduled at 10 am on 9 May, at the community center in Ward No 4 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The workshop is designed to increase awareness around sanitation and solid waste management within citizens of Muzaffarpur town. Members of Settlement Improvement Committees (SICs), Municipal official’s, other dignitaries from academics and media, citizen leaders will also participate in the workshop.

The program is intended towards assessing opportunity and challenges of community participation in sanitation and solid waste management. Along with this discussion shall also focus upon ensuring participation of community from all strata in the development of the town.

Through an interactive dialogue between officials and citizens, the workshop aims to assess citizens understanding around sanitation and other elements attached to it. PRIA has recently conducted survey on SWM practices in 5 wards (ward no- 1 to 5), where municipal corporation has started door to door collection of waste. Findings of the survey is also going to be shared with participants to understand the current situation on the field and what measures can be taken to improve the SWM process. Sessions would also be organized through which citizens can gain knowledge about different practices related to sanitation such as; Usage of toilets, segregation of waste at source etc.
The workshop is being organized by PRIA under “Engaged Citizen, Responsive City” program, supported by the European Union. ECRC focuses on strengthening the urban poor to participate in planning and monitoring sanitation services.