PUNE NEWSLINE SPECIAL, SEPTEMBER 27,2002

NGO survey powers MSEB move in slums - ANURADHA MASCARENHAS
The first ever spatial and socio-economic census processed and analyzed on Geographical Information System (GIS) on slums in Pune is soon proving to be handy for the state Maharashtra State Electricity Board. The MSEB has tied up with Shelter Associates, an NGO that has prepared a slum database and surveyed 213 settlements covering over one lakh hutment's, for a feedback on the even distribution of electricity in slums. "We are ready to give individual connections to slums dwellers and the honest MSEB consumer. Based on the information compiled by Shelter Associates, we can locate how many have borrowed electricity and tap the willingness of those who want their meters," says Avinash Shethji, chief enjineer of the Pune Urban Circle of MSEB. The sample survey conducted at Ambedkar Nagar slum in Wadgaon Dhairi found that 28 people had individual meters, 33 borrowed electricity while eight lived by candlelight. Shelter Associates had prepared exhaustive questionnaires to check how many people were drawing power from the poles. According to Pratima Joshi, Director, Shelter Associates, the database would be useful for MSEB to look at simpler meter-obtaining procedures and help reduce borrowing. On Friday, at least 25 slum dwellers at Ambedkar Nagar were willing to pay the cost of electricity connection and had gathered funds in a common pool organised by the Baandhani Sanghatana. "We also found four cases where MSEB had allegedly overcharged the consumer" Joshi said, adding it deterred the consumer from paying. Earlier, a survey was carried out 77,951 houses in 213 slums. Of the houses surveyed, 69 per cent had their own meters in 'declared' slums while the ration was 50:50 in 'undeclared' slums. Though people from undeclared slums cannot have their own meter, 50% had managed to do so.