Engaged Citizens, Responsive Cities, State Level Consultation, Muzaffarpur

On December 21, 2019, the Society for Participatory Research In Asia (PRIA) organized a day-long State Consultation on “Putting Citizens at the Centre: Sustaining Improved Urban Sanitation Services in Bihar” at Hotel Park, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

The consultation arose as part of the European Union supported Engaged Citizens, Responsive Cities (ECRC) project, which was developed in 2016 to transform sanitation and foster hygienic practices in the cities of Muzaffarpur, Jhansi, and Ajmer. The project is premised on the theory that if the capacities of the urban poor civil societies are enhanced; municipalities, residents, and markets are sensitized; and the media and local academic institutions can work in tandem, then sanitation services in the city can be improved exponentially. These organizations must work together with the civil society of the urban poor in planning, implementation, and monitoring, in order to achieve sustainable change in sanitation. This can positively impact every citizen in the city, and includes the formation of Settlement Improvement Forums (SICs), which comprise of community leaders from local women and youth groups, as well as the Citizen Forum. The latter comprises of diverse members from academic institutions, Resident Welfare Societies (RWAs), civil society forums, and media organizations. The role of PRIA has been to facilitate and encourage the formation and work of these groups, so as to foster community organization concerning the issue of sanitation.   

The objective of the consultation was to explore solutions for the prevailing issues faced by the urban sanitation sector of Bihar, by utilizing innovative methods centred on citizen engagement and multi-stakeholder partnerships. The conversation during the event focused on the discussion of the ongoing initiatives and existing issues related to urban sanitation in Bihar. Multiple instances of positive changes were shared, and further strategies for transforming sanitation through citizen engagement and behavioural change were discussed. Participants also raised the question of additional possibilities of multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustaining urban sanitation in the state. Significant attention was also given to the issue of sustainable sanitation, and how the installation of infrastructure alone—such as toilets—is not sufficient to increase awareness regarding the inherent dignity that sanitation brings to a community. Therefore, any solution for improving sanitation must involve community participation and the mobilization of elected representatives on principle, in order for the community to have a voice in the development of their settlements. SIC Forum and Citizen Forum, Muzaffarpur presented how they were organised as active citizen groups and working towards improvement of sanitation services in informal settlements and wards in the city. 

The consultation emphasised the process and importance of facilitating community participation in sanitation, and the challenges inherent therein. Community leaders who were members of the SICs highlighted that their achievements were necessary and specific interventions, made all the more important by their contextual knowledge of how public infrastructure is used in their settlements. Democratic inclusion, community participation, and corporation are essential for achieving the desired level of sanitation services, and for bringing about a model of good governance. This sensitization will also contribute towards changing the perception that informal settlements are generally responsible for unsanitary conditions in cities. Additional progress can only be sustained in an inclusive and participatory system of governance. Furthermore, in order to supplement these efforts, the Citizen Forum in Muzaffarpur also inaugurated a monthly newsletter, which will continue to discuss how citizen’s collectives can join hands to provide solutions to the pressing problems/issues in the cities.

The consultation was attended by Mayor, Gaya Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councillors and Officials of Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation, SIC Forum and Citizen Forum Members of Muzaffarpur, experts on sanitation and municipal governance, civil society organisations, media and academia.