Municipal Corporations Research Articles

Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Housemaids: A Case Study of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra

Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Housemaids: A Case Study of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra

Groundwater contamination modelling in Ayad River Basin, Udaipur

Groundwater, a vital freshwater resource catering to agricultural, domestic, and industrial needs, faces a pressing challenge of contamination due to escalating human activities. This study focuses on the Ayad River Basin in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan, employing the FEFLOW simulation code for the first time. A steady-state numerical model and a groundwater contaminant prediction model for total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrate, and fluoride were developed, simulating trends over the next five years with an accuracy exceeding 95%. The results reveal an eastward increase in TDS, nitrate, and fluoride concentrations, attributed to contamination from two waste disposal sites-Titadi and Baleecha. Titadi, operational for four decades until closure in 2010, retains residual waste over 32 thousand m2. The initiation of a new dumping ground at Baleecha by the Udaipur Municipal Corporation post-2010 exacerbates regional contamination. Nitrate contamination is particularly high in agricultural zones with excessive chemical fertilizer usage. Of the 27 scenarios tested, 23 support using the water for irrigation but would require treatment before using it for drinking. Recommendations include deploying a chemical sensor network for real-time data input into the web enabled FEFLOW model, real-time monitoring and alerts, and a mobile application providing personalized guidance on water usage and health risks in case of contamination. This study can be beneficial to decision-makers, who work on the policy and groundwater management strategies.

Policy evaluation and performance assessment for sustainable urbanization: a study of selected city corporations in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is going through an unprecedented period of urban growth, and its cities are having to deal with rising service, housing, and infrastructural needs. It is critical to comprehend how urban government promotes sustainable development as the nation struggles with the intricacies of urbanization. This study aims to investigate how urban governance impacts sustainable urbanization at the city corporation level in Bangladesh, focusing on Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Agenda, which is “sustainable cities and communities.” The study selected Rajshahi and Gazipur City Corporations as case studies and employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and descriptive statistics methods to gather data from primary and secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal gaps in urban governance, highlighting inconsistencies between the expectations of stakeholders and the reality on the ground. Stakeholders express high expectations for housing access, infrastructure development, disaster management, transportation, and environmental sustainability, but the current state falls short in several areas. Further, the study proposes several recommendations to enhance urban governance, including fostering participatory approaches, ensuring sufficient budget allocation for infrastructure development, addressing housing challenges, enhancing women’s safety in transportation, and strengthening disaster management systems.

A Study on Crime against Scheduled Castes in Metropolitan Cities in India

The paper discussed crime against scheduled castes in metropolitan cities in India. It has found that higher incidences of crime against scheduled tribes identified in Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur and Bengaluru. On the other hand, least number of crimes are recorded in Coimbatore, Kochi, Chennai, Kozhikode and Surat. Incidences of murder, attempt to commit murder, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, assault on women above 18 years, and assault or use of criminal force on women with intent to disrobe crime are highest recorded in Bengaluru. Highest incidences of stalking crime are reported in Indore. Highest incidences and victims of sexual harassment, and insult to the modesty of women is reported in Hyderabad. Highest incidences and victims of simple hurt and grievous hurt are logged in Patna. Highest incidences of assault of children, rape, rape of women above 18 years, and attempt to commit rape are reported in Ahmedabad, Indore and Jaipur Kanpur has the highest incidences and victims of kidnapping and abduction against scheduled castes. Therefore, city corporations should implement policies and laws for minimizing crimes against scheduled castes and there should be proper awareness programs of such crimes.

Soil bacteriome diversity and composition of rooftop and surface gardens in urban and peri-urban areas of Bangladesh.

Soil microbiome science, rapidly evolving, predominantly focuses on field crop soils. However, understanding garden soil microbiomes is essential for enhancing food production sustainability in garden environments. This study aimed to unveil the bacteriome diversity and composition in rooftop garden soils (RGS) and surface garden soils (SGS) across urban (Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations) and peri-urban (Gazipur City Corporation) areas of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. We analyzed 11 samples, including six RGS and five SGS samples from 11 individual gardens using 16S rRNA (V3-V4 region) gene-based amplicon sequencing. A total of 977 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), including 270 and 707 in RGS and SGS samples, respectively, were identified. The observed OTUs were represented by 21 phyla, 45 classes, 84 orders, 173 families, and 293 genera of bacteria. Alpha diversity indices revealed significantly higher bacterial diversity in SGS samples (p = 0.01), while beta diversity analyses indicated distinct bacteriome compositions between RGS and SGS samples (p = 0.028, PERMANOVA). Despite substantial taxonomic variability between sample categories, there was also a considerable presence of shared bacterial taxa. At the phylum level, Bacilliota (61.14%), Pseudomonadota (23.42%), Actinobacteria (6.33%), and Bacteroidota (3.32%) were the predominant bacterial phyla (comprising > 94.0% of the total abundances) in both types of garden soil samples. Of the identified genera, Bacillus (69.73%) and Brevibacillus (18.81%) in RGS and Bacillus (19.22%), Methylophaga (19.21%), Acinetobacter (6.27%), Corynebacterium (5.06%), Burkholderia (4.78%), Paracoccus (3.98%) and Lysobacter (2.07%) in SGS were the major bacterial genera. Importantly, we detected that 52.90% of genera were shared between RGS and SGS soil samples. Our data reveal unique and shared bacteriomes with probiotic potential in soil samples from both rooftop and surface gardens. Further studies should explore the functional roles of shared bacterial taxa in garden soils and how urban environmental factors affect microbiome composition to optimize soil health and sustainable food production.

Building resilience: Insights into ecosystem-based integrated environmental risk reduction approaches for urban environments in coastal Bangladesh

The intricate relationship between environmental quality, ecosystem services, and human well-being underscores the importance of understanding and addressing environmental complexities. Considering these issues, this research aims to propose ecosystem-based approaches for mitigating environmental risks within the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) area, while also elucidating the connection between ecosystem services and these risks. By doing so, it indirectly addresses disaster risk reduction approaches, acknowledging the relationship between environmental degradation and increased disaster occurrences. Leveraging multi-spectral Landsat images from 2001 (Landsat-5), 2011 (Landsat-5), and 2021 (Landsat-8), the study evaluates LULC dynamics and quantifies ecosystem service values (ESVs) using the Benefit Transfer Method. Additionally, seven key indicators, including land use-based carbon emissions, elevation, LST, NDVI, NDWI, NDSI, and NDBI, were analyzed to monitor spatiotemporal changes. The weighted overlay method was employed to integrate raster data and delineate environmental risk zones driven by deteriorating ESVs in KCC. Notably, the study reveals a significant increase in highly environmental risk areas from 7 % to 34 % and a decrease in medium-risk areas from 92 % to 60 % of the total area between 2001 and 2021 due to the decline in ecosystem services resulting from unplanned rapid urbanization. Furthermore, a moderate negative correlation (R2 values of 0.56, 0.67, and 0.69) between ESVs and the environmental risk index underscores the linkage between deteriorating ecosystem services and the expansion of high-risk zones. Furthermore, this study advocates policies such as drought-resistant tree plantations, community involvement, post-disaster resource provision, funding allocation, and stakeholder knowledge dissemination to enhance the resilience of KCC.

A Conundrum to Decode the Proficiency of Urban Schoolteachers in Screening Learning Disabilities.

It is estimated that nearly 5%-10% of Indian schoolchildren have hidden problems, with about 80%-85% of them having dyslexia. Failing to diagnose and address learning disabilities on time can lead to adverse outcomes, such as school dropouts and mental health issues. In this context, the study was designed to assess educators' knowledge regarding LD, its detection, and provisions for its management. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 randomly selected English, Hindi, Marathi, and Urdu medium schools under Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from June 2018 to December 2019. The study participants were primary, upper primary, and high schoolteachers whose knowledge and practices regarding LD were assessed using a validated questionnaire. From the ten selected schools, 150 teachers were interviewed. The knowledge regarding LD was poor, with only 26.67% of the teachers expressing the inability of the child to learn in only one particular tenet of their studies as a learning disability, which was incorrect. Nearly 24.67% of the teachers expressed the correct opinion that children who had problems with two or more learning domains were found to have LD. Most of them were unaware of the provisions for children with LD. The most common factors influencing learning disability among children were the environment at home (approximately 40%), followed by health and frequent illness of a child (28.67%). LD criteria, screening, provision, and referral should have been better understood by schoolteachers. Most of their expertise came from teacher training programs. Teachers closely study their pupils and can spot even modest changes in academic performance or behavior, making them the first screening medium for learning disabilities. Therefore, teachers must be trained to recognize LD and informed about available services such as urban rehabilitation centers for children with LD.

Mapping Environmental Quality Indices of Dhaka City by Using Geospatial Techniques

Dhaka, the city of over 10 million people is one of the most polluted cities due to rapid urbanization, commercial development and population pressure. The present study assessed an overall environmental quality of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) using an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) based on five indices: Air Quality Index (AQI), Water Quality Index (WQI), Soil Quality Index (SQI), Noise Quality Index (NQI), and Vegetation Index (VI). The final EQI was determined through selecting components from background literature and an overlay analysis using predefined weights for each distinct indices. The study reveals that the west and west-central part of DSCC have experienced the most severe environmental degradation, affecting noise levels, vegetation cover, air, soil, and water quality. However, the air is less polluted especially in the peripheral zones of the city corporations. Overall, the study indicates that the environmental quality of DNCC is comparatively better than DSCC. The results of the study provides an insight on environmental quality of the city for legislators, urban planners, environmentalists, and researchers to monitor and preserve environmental quality in making the city livable, healthy and sustainable. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 12(2), 2023, P 41-53

Synergizing remote sensing and ecological indicators (RSEIs) for evaluating ecological environmental quality (EEQ) in Asansol Municipal Corporation: an integrated approach.

Human activities have dramatically affected global ecology over the past few decades. Geospatial technologies provide quick, efficient, and quantitative evaluation of spatiotemporal changes in eco-environmental quality (EEQ). This study focuses on a novel approach called remote sensing-based ecological indicators (RSEIs), which has used Landsat imagery data to assess environmental conditions and their changing trends. Four ecological indicators, mainly heatness, dryness, wetness, and greenness, have been used to assess the EEQ in Asansol Municipal Corporation Region (AMCR). Assembling all the indicators to generate RSEI, the principal component analysis (PCA) approach was applied. Our findings show that wetness and greenness favorably impact the province's EEQ, whereas dryness and heat create a negative impact. The RSEI assessment revealed that 24.53 to 28.83% of the area was poor and very poor, whereas the areas with very good decreased from 18.80 to 4.01% from 2001 to 2021 due to urban expansion and industrialization. The relative importance analysis indicates that greenness has a positive relation with RSEI, and dryness and heatness have a negative relation with RSEI. Finally, the receiving operating characteristic (ROC) was used for validation (AUC-0.885) of the RSEI. This study offers valuable insights for ecological management decision-making, guiding planners, and policymakers.

ISLAMIST POLITICS AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION IN BANGLADESHI NEWSPAPERS

This study aims to examine the representation of an Islamist political party— Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) during their political campaign in the context of the 2023 Barishal City Corporation (BCC) in three Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers— the Daily Star (DS), the Daily Janakantha (DJ) and the New Age (NA). Examining the news articles, photographs and editorials, this study argues that these newspapers sidelined, ignored, and in some cases favored the Islamist party. It also argues that the party IAB uses myth— if you vote for hand-fan (electoral symbol of IAB), Allah and Rasool (prophet Muhammad) will have the votes; and makes voters sewer placing hands on the holy Quran—were unchallenged by the three newspapers. Though the IAB could not win the election, it was expected that mass media as social institutions would come forward with accurate information so that social members would not be misguided. The DS and DJ are found with the propensity to sideline and ignore the IAB and its electioneering. On the contrary, the NA provided balanced news coverage compared to the other dailies. Nonetheless, none of them have challenged the myth that the IAB’s uses of myth that misguided the voters.

Quantitative Interpretation of Universal Design Features in Shopping Malls: A Case Study in Kolkata, India

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 indicates the need for and importance of inclusive public spaces as a prerequisite towards sustainable cities. Shopping malls in urban India attract a significantly large population daily, making them an important typology of urban structures which deserve universal design. Thus, in this paper, universal design features of shopping malls in Kolkata have been considered. Despite a significant increase in the number of elderly and specially-abled people, civic administration in Kolkata has not been able to successfully implement the national guidelines on inclusiveness in its shopping malls. Five shopping malls from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were considered case areas for the fieldwork. The accessibility audit checklist included in the ‘Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021’ published by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, has been used in this paper. It was found that the accessibility percentage of shopping malls ranges between 14.4% and 44.8%, indicating the lack of universal design considerations. Pearson’s correlation between the year of establishment and the accessibility percentage of each case area was found to be −0.66, indicating an alarming deterioration in universal design considerations over the years. On comparing the accessibility performance with the diverse user groups, it was found that individual wheelchair users are likely to face the most difficulty in the case areas with a median accessibility value of 41.46%. This research indicated that accessible continuity in shopping malls in Kolkata can be imparted only by implementing case-specific universal design assessment through a primary survey.

New urban spaces under Modi’s digital India – digitization of urban governance and state-citizen relationship

Few studies have examined how Indian ULBs have responded to the government’s informationization agenda, particularly the use of geospatial technologies for urban governance. Drawing upon insights from Critical GIS, neoliberalization and governmentality studies, this article addresses this gap by examining the case of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the evolution of their modernization efforts that have progressed from office automation practices to active use of GIS technology for urban governance. SMC’s regional and political environment have favored their modernization efforts. However, as ULBs are expected to manage a diverse urban population and shoulder responsibilities with fewer resources they must adapt. Surat Municipal Corporation has adapted by aligning local political agenda with national agenda and adopting a strategy that echoes the dominant political discourse of utilizing technology to govern from a distance and as a modality of biopolitics. Use of geospatial technologies serves as an important tool for the ULB to introduce new modes of bureaucratic governmentality.

The Political Budget Cycle: Evidence from Indian Municipal Corporation Elections

The political budget cycle (PBC) theory deals with increased spending or decreased revenue collection, or a combination of both, on the verge of an election by the incumbent government to retain office. Empirical verification of the PBC theory at the subnational local government level is scarce in the literature. Subnational local governments are more prominent in population and budget for a country like India. This study takes into account 34 municipal corporations in India to examine the PBC theory and find strong evidence of politically motivated cycles on the budget expenditure and revenue front. Notably, the more visible expenditure on welfare schemes shows increased spending during an election period. On the revenue side, this study also finds evidence in support of the PBC theory. Indian municipal corporations are creating ‘welfare’ and ‘infrastructure’ cycles during the election period to gain political profit and are validating the ‘visibility’ and ‘targetability’ hypotheses described in the literature. This study is the first attempt to trace the presence of the PBC at the subnational local government level in India.

A baseline cross-sectional study to assess patient satisfaction (18-60 years) toward Apli Chikitsa (free of cost medical laboratory tests) services provided at an urban health training center: A PPP model.

Assessing satisfaction with healthcare services is one of the cornerstone methods to evaluate success and identify obstacles during the process for the patients. Identifying crucial information helps in course correction and better healthcare delivery to the patients. Apli Chikitsa is a novel PPP model-based free of cost laboratory service made available to the patients by the municipal corporation. Around 150 blood tests are offered free of cost and through peripheral dispensaries to the patients. The present study was undertaken to assess the satisfaction of patients with the service and service-related aspects. A cross-sectional observational urban health center-based study was undertaken to assess the satisfaction of patients toward the Apli Chikitsa laboratory service. Institutional ethics committee clearance was obtained before commencing the study. Four hundred patients availing of the laboratory services were enrolled by alternate sampling method. A semistructured questionnaire was administered; five-point Likert scale was used to assess satisfaction toward the service and related aspects. Results were summarized using tables and charts, and percentages and proportions were used wherever necessary. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Among the study participants, overall satisfaction was observed among 71.25%, and 100% satisfaction was observed in relation to cost of service, maintenance of privacy and confidentiality, and getting all the requested tests done. The problem of overcrowding (96.75%) was observed by a majority. Satisfaction was low regarding the cleanliness of toilets (48.75%). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the overall satisfaction is the Apli Chikitsa laboratory service is good, and it is a good model for replication for laboratory service delivery in peripheral areas away from tertiary care centers. Overcrowding should be managed, and cleanliness of toilets to done at frequent intervals, along with proper and visible use of signages, should be done to improve the satisfaction of the patients.

An Overview of Solid Waste Management Practices in Pune, Maharashtra, India

The growing population and rapid urbanization are significant challenges for Indian cities. Pune City generates nearly 2,258 tonnes of waste per day. Pune’s informal waste sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and self-sustainability. Moreover, it contributes to favorable economic and social outcomes for the city. With the support of the self-help group SWaCH Seva Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, Pune, the municipal solid waste management model has successfully achieved a remarkable 95 percent segregation rate. Implementing the Pune municipal solid waste management model showcases the active and efficient engagement of informal waste workers in the collection and resource utilization process. This underscores the possibility of favorable economic, social, and environmental results stemming from collaborations between municipalities and waste pickers. This paper looks at the role of SWaCH in line with Pune Municipal Corporation towards the present waste management system. Primarily reliant on labor, this model accomplishes recycling tasks at a notably lower cost compared to conventional mechanized and centralized waste management approaches. It can also accomplish high recycling levels and relatively considerable plastic waste segregation. Promoting the retrieval of valuable materials, especially plastics, for local and global recycling enterprises actively contributes to the advancement of a circular urban waste management approach. The objective of this research is to explore and provide a realistic understanding of Pune’s current status of waste generation, collection, transportation, and disposal. Apart from the SwaCH-PMC model, the paper also focuses on plastic waste recycling, the Red Dot Campaign towards sanitary waste, and household e-waste management in Pune.

Suicidal Ideation and Academic Self-efficacy among Urban High School Students

The present study attempted an empirical investigation to explore the suicidal ideation and academic self-efficacy among urban high school students. A total of 120 (60 boys and 60 girls) respondents constituted the sample of the study. The samples were taken from 3 high schools of City Corporation, Chittagong district. The measuring instruments used in this study were: Adapted Bangla version of Suicidal Ideation of Beck et al. (1974), Adapted Bangla version of Academic self-efficacy scale of Owen md Froman ( 1988). The data were analyzed by using mean, standard deviation t-test and Pearson product moment correlation. The findings showed that there was no significant difference between boy and girl students with respect to suicidal ideation and academic self-efficacy. Results also showed that there was significant negative correlation of suicidal ideation and academic self-efficacy. The correlation coefficient between suicidal ideation and academic self-efficacy was r = - 0.215 (p< 0.05). The Chittagong Univ. J B. Sci. 8(1&2): 127-134, 2013

Sustainable Redevelopment by Reuse and Recycle of C&D Waste in Mumbai

Solid waste that is generated due to demolition or alteration, any renovation work, structure repairing work is known as Construction and demolition waste (C&D). This waste is considered low risk waste but found in high volume. This waste can be used as resource for recycling and reusing. Due to increase in C&D waste environmental concerns and public health concerns are also increased. This causes necessity for recycling and reusing of C&D waste. If proper waste materials are managed, cleaned and sieved in industrial crushing plants materials can be reused. In spite of this demolition waste is dumped into dumping grounds of Mumbai. Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has nine municipal corporations which has area of 4,355sq.km. Under 74th Constitutional Amendment, Municipal Corporations in India are mandated to have solid waste management. In MMR all municipal corporations have centralized waste management that is dumped into nearby landfills. There are multiple players including informal sectors who are merging in managing C&D waste to decentralized the process. Due to increase in C&D waste in dumping grounds of Mumbai necessity to develop waste management plan is important. Working towards achieving this will help to reduce hazardous effect on humans and environment. This study highlights the need of reusing and recycling of C&D waste with proper management for sustainable development in city of Mumbai.

Caesarean delivery and neonatal mortality: evidence from selected slums in and around Dhaka city, Bangladesh- A prospective cohort study

BackgroundThis study examined the neonatal mortality for newborn of women who delivered by caesarean section or vaginally using a prospective cohort.MethodsA total of 6,989 live births registered from 2016 to 2018, were followed for neonatal survival from the selected slums of Dhaka (North and South) and Gazipur city corporations, where icddr,b maintained the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). Neonatal mortality was compared by maternal and newborn characteristics and mode of delivery using z-test. Logistic regression model performed for neonatal mortality by mode of delivery controlling selected covariates and reported adjusted odd ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsOut of 6,989 live births registered, 27.7% were caesarean and the rest were vaginal delivery; of these births, 265 neonatal deaths occurred during the follow-up. The neonatal mortality rate was 2.7 times higher (46 vs. 17 per 1,000 births) for vaginal than caesarean delivered. Until 3rd day of life, the mortality rate was very high for both vaginal and caesarean delivered newborn; however, the rate was 24.8 for vaginal and 6.3 per 1,000 live births for caesarean delivered on the 1st day of life. After adjusting the covariates, the odds of neonatal mortality were higher for vaginal than caesarean delivered (aOR: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.82, 3.85). Additionally, the odds were higher for adolescent than elderly adult mother (aOR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.48), for multiple than singleton birth (aOR: 5.40; 95% CI: 2.82, 10.33), for very/moderate (aOR: 5.13; 95% CI: 3.68, 7.15), and late preterm birth (aOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.08) than term birth; while the odds were lower for girl than boy (aOR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.96), and for 5th wealth quintile than 1st quintile (aOR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.91).ConclusionOur study found that caesarean delivered babies had significantly lower neonatal mortality than vaginal delivered. Therefore, a comprehensive delivery and postnatal care for vaginal births needed a special attention for the slum mothers to ensure the reduction of neonatal mortality.

Impact of Urbanization On Groundwater Quality - A Case of Kochi Municipal Corporation Area

Impact of Urbanization On Groundwater Quality - A Case of Kochi Municipal Corporation Area

RESCUE ROBOT FOR BOREWELL

Modern citification and development of cities has expanded since a decade, parchedness and deficient supply of water from conventional water reservoir and supply system has led to expand in number of domestic borewell installation. And price of installation and financing is easy and economical hence increasingly people are selecting for their personal bore well, rather relying of City Corporation for water supply. This has acutely enlarged the accident in the site of bore well especially toddlers are assailable and numerous incidents has transpired where toddlers smitten in open borewell and some falling into the depth. The intension of the project is to establish and design a bore well rescue robot, which can lift and rescue the kids who fall into well. Key words- rescue robot for borewell, confined space rescue, remote-controlled robotics, live streaming surveillance, humanitarian technology, cost-effective rescue system