Integrated approach to solid waste management in Pune city

The solid waste is increasing in Pune city due to growth of population, urbanization, higher per capita income and standard of living, changing lifestyle and food habits. The solid waste created by the household units, shops, restaurant and commercial units are higher. Solid waste is inevitable task in urbanization process and it will increase in future. The collection, segregation, storage, transports and processing of solid waste needs planning and more investment. Clean city improves standard of living by reducing different diseases. Public private partnership is more useful in solid waste management. Government and Municipal Corporation must encourage local management through collection, transport and segregation and disposal of solid waste. Public awareness and segregation at source, rules and regulations related to solid waste will bring good change in solid waste management.Urbanization, management, lifestyle

EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IN MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN THANE DISTRICT

Due to higher urbanization, water demand in six Municipal Corporations of Thane district is continuously increasing. The growth of the population, small and large industries, health and educational institutions, commercial units are the responsible factors. The demand of drinking water is continuously increasing but supply is not matching with increasing demand. Municipal Corporations have not made the provision of drinking water to the growing population on 24*7 basis. The alternative policies of rainwater harvesting, reducing leakages and wastage, more provision of funds for water supply projects, revision of tariff structure and private sector participation in distribution of drinking water supply will yield the better results in terms of growing demand of water supply.water supply, water demand

Challenge of financing physical infrastructure and services in Brihanmumbai municipal corporation

Mumbai city is a financial capital of country but at present it is facing acute pressure of rise in population and inadequate infrastructure facilities and services. All the infrastructure facilities are overcrowded and services are not sufficient to present population, commerce and trade purpose. Such facilities are affecting on standard of living of population in city. The revenue sources are increasing for Brihanmunbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) but they are inadequate to finance infrastructure expenditure. The demand of the funds is higher for city environment, institutional reforms, common services and social welfare of population. Municipal Corporation must raise the investment from the capital market through issuing municipal bonds. RBI must either allow commercial banks to provide infrastructure development finance or establish non banking financial institutions for this purpose. Similarly efficient expenditure management, innovative methods of revenue collection will yield better results. BMC must implement public private partnership in maximum infrastructure related projects. It will reduce the debt burden of Municipal Corporation. BMC cannot keep people away from using the municipal corporation services. Services provision at grass-root level is in an important challenge for BMC.Fiscal deficit, social welfare , development expenditure

Improving productivity and welfare among workers of small and household textile and garment units in India

Global Production System has changed remarkably over the period of time. In order to cope up with the change in the nature and type of production, the small and household garment and textile units are employing the younger and skilled labor force. The workers in these units are employed on the contract, causal and temporary basis. They are not given the different benefits as applicable to the large scale unit workers. Such workers are employed more hours and weekly holidays are not given to them. The small and household units are simply maximizing their interest and profit. Such capitalist nature of productive activities makes the labor worse. They are given less wages and classified as unskilled workers. Workers are not given proper training and security of work by these units. Their access to productive assets and standard of living is low as compare to the large unit’s workers. In order to improve the workers conditions, minimum wage should be given to all workers in small and household units. Such units must maintain their annual records of transactions. Small and household units must send their workers for compulsory training. Work place environment, minimum hours of work are required to regulate in these sectors. Immediate steps will have positive impact on workers earning and standard of living. It will help for further productivity enhancement.productivity, welfare, social security, working conditions

Effects of urbanisation on multiple cropping pattern in coastal districts in India

Coastal area protects from natural disasters and provides livelihood to population. But over the period of time, industrialized has grown across the coastal area in India. Such industrialization has created higher employment opportunities. Educational achievements of the population of coastal districts are higher as compare to the non coastal districts. Workers engaged service sector activities are higher as compare to non coastal districts in India. Random effect regression results show that the area under non agriculture use is higher in coastal districts. Cereals and rubber production is positively significant in coastal districts. Multiple cropping patterns are negatively co-related to the coastal districts. The policies like community participation, waste recycling of various industrial units, protection of the mangroves and strict implementation of the coastal regulation zone laws will protect the coastal area.Land use, Infrastructure index, Random effect

Adolescent pregnancies and health issues in Uttar Pradesh: Some policy implications

In the globalization era, adolescent pregnancies have become an important health issue. Teenage mothers have bigger disadvantage in terms of socio-economic factors. In Uttar Pradesh teenage mothers are found in the poorer households with less education. The logistic regression shows that odd ratio for the teenage mothers are more in rural area. The odd is higher for scheduled caste, tribe and other backward caste as compare to other caste households. The adolescent mothers of low standard of living index has higher odd ratio as compare to the adolescent mothers of higher standard of living index. Teenage mothers do not use the family planning methods and prenatal care. They do not deliver the baby in the health care facility and breastfeed their baby immediately after the delivery. The odd ratio is higher for no breastfeeding after child birth. In order to reduce the teenage pregnancy, government of Uttar Pradesh must generate more self employment opportunities to women and girls. The vocational training will improve the employment possibilities among adolescent girls. Government must provide the health care facilities to the poorer households. Such policies will reduce the adolescent pregnancies in the state.Pregnancies, fertility, employment

DOES DEMOLITION OF SLUMS AFFECTS ON PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN’S HEALTH IN MUMBAI?

This paper compares the incidence of malnutrition among below five age group children in demolished and not demolished slums in Mumbai. After demolition of kuttcha slums, the incidence of stunting and wasting increases among boys. The incidence of underweight is observed very high for girls. Incidence of severe malnourishment becomes double after demolition of kuttcha slums. The logit regression model shows that the incidence of malnourishment among 0-5 age group children is negatively related to per capita income, age of the child, mother’s education, and positively related to mother’s body mass index. As far as malnourishment among pre-school children is concerned then, dummy variable for demolished slums is positive and statistically significant. The policy mix of redevelopment of kuttcha slums, income improvement through training to women, opening up of new Anganwadi centers, provision of health care facilities and sanitation will certainly reduce the incidence of child malnutrition in Mumbai.demolished slums, malnutrition, underweight

Truth and trust in communication - Experiments on the effect of a competitive context

The paper employs laboratory experimentation to study the effect of competition on truth telling and trust in communication. A sequence of either competitive or cooperative interactions preceded an experimental communication game. In the game, informed advisors sent a recommendation to decision-makers who faced uncertainty about the consequences of their choice. While many advisors told the truth against their monetary self-interest, the propensity to tell the truth was unaffected by the contextual priming. In contrast, decision-makers trusted significantly less in a competitive context. The effect was strongest when they faced full uncertainty. The paper relates this result to psychological and neuro-economic findings on automatic information processing. The data of this study were largely in line with Subjective Equilibrium Analysis (Kalai and Lehrer, 1995).

Public private partnership in solid waste management in municipal corporations of Mumbai metropolitan region

The solid waste in all municipal corporations is rising in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Such rise in solid waste generation is observed in Brihanmumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Navi-Mumbai and Bhiwand-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. An increase in solid waste is observed because of increase in urbanization, population density and income, changing food habits, taste and pattern. The growth of industry, commercial units such as hotels, theaters, restaurants, malls are rising fast. Such units are positively contributing to the solid waste generation. Solid waste collection, segregation and disposal capacity of Municipal Corporations is low and inadequate with rising solid waste. Therefore municipal corporations must adopt scientific methods for collection, segregation and disposal of solid waste. Municipal corporations must accommodate private sector for investment and management of solid waste. Urgent steps in this direction will reduce the water, air, soil pollutions and health hazards. It will improve the quality life of people in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.Population, Food habits, lifestyle