Anshu Sharma
Urban Planner
Delhi, India

Link: SEEDS

Submission: "Yamuna River Bed Settlement, Delhi: Firepost"

“Participatory Rapid Appraisal “exercises such as informal transect walks, focus group meetings, risk mapping, hazard ranking, seasonal disaster time line and children’s drawings were conducted . . . .
Squatters in Delhi are a post-independence phenomenon. Squatting on public land which is devoid of basic infrastructure created problems at the very outset itself – water-logging, poor sanitary conditions, noise pollution, and smelly surroundings. The nature of materials used for building houses and storage of inflammable recycled material has made these settlements extremely sensitive to fire hazard. . . .

"A preliminary baseline survey was conducted in the two communities to assess behaviour, attitudes, perception and awareness levels, frequency of occurrence of hazards, reasons for the vulnerability, the social and civic set-up in place, and the economic status of community members. . . .”



"One of the major concerns that came out was of fire risk in the settlement. Through the workshop an Action Plan was prepared by the community and a task force was set up for fire safety. The Action Plan involved building local fire fighting capacity. A number of alternatives were explored, in collaboration with local authorities and the fire-fighting department. The task force, with support from SEEDS, finally opted for a Community Fire Post, with independent power and water supply. The fire post was commissioned in October 2000.

“The Community Fire Post is a first of its kind in this area. Not only is it a community led initiative in terms of planning and establishment of the facility, but is also manned and maintained by a trained community task force. The local residents had pitched in for the construction work on the post, and now hold responsibility for its proper maintenance and use. There is a distinct sense of ownership and pride, and they are keen to establish a network of such fire posts to cover the entire settlement.”

from “Our Experiments in Community Planning” article by Anshu Sharma
[Several years after the Community Fire Post was commissioned, the Yamuna River Bed Settlement was torn down and its residents relocated. The fire post, which was reliant on the high water table of the squatter settlement, was not reused at the new location because the site has a low water table.]


Bio:

Anshu Sharma is trained as an Urban Planner and is presently holding the position of Programme Director in the Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), a professional voluntary organization working in the areas of planning and development in South Asia. He is currently involved in disaster management research and community based disaster mitigation programmes, including an initiative on linking universities and NGOs for extending education programmes to field practitioners.

About SEEDS
The Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) is a voluntary organisation registered in India. SEEDS was formed in 1994 as an informal group of students and teachers of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, whose common interests brought them together. The SEEDS team comprises a group of young professionals drawn from development related fields. SEEDS is currently working on community based disaster management programmes in South Asia. Interventions include risk mitigation planning, mason training, community leader training, school safety programmes, technology research and demonstrations, and knowledge resource generation.





"55% of Delhi’s population not connected to sewer system"
Aman Sethi, “Flowing in the Thames Model,” Frontline, http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021001305300.htm(accessed March 25, 2006)