The present ‘clean and healthy’ image of Surat is not the result of vigorous sanitation and public health actions only. If it were not supported by the integrated approach with appropriate administrative, managerial and financial strategies, the programme would not have been successful. The total administrative overhauling and prudent financial management helped this process achieve the targeted goals in the shortest possible time.

It has been noted earlier that according to the BPMC Act of 1949, which governs the functioning of the SMC, the Municipal Commissioner is all powerful in the executive wing. He enjoys financial and administrative power and authority as entrusted to him by the Act, subject to the approval of the deliberative or the elected body. The concentration of powers in the hands of the Commissioner, who is a state government appointee, posted for a specific period, makes the other senior officials in the municipality totally dependent on the higher authority for decision making and thus creates sufficient ground for them to avoid responsibility and accountability.

For electoral purposes, the city is divided into 33 municipal wards. However, the ward offices which had been existing in every ward for long were rudimentary in nature and immensely understaffed. Due to these weaknesses they could only address small scale complaints and could barely manage to look after the cleaning of the ward. The Corporation area was divided into six administrative zones in April 1994, but the zonal offices were also without much power and authority. The zonal offices, each headed by a senior municipal official of Deputy or Assistant Commissioner’s rank, were formed with the objective of streamlining the engineering, sanitation, and revenue collection process. But these offices were also not equipped with manpower and finances. As a result, they were not operating very effectively before 1995.

The first initiative taken after 1995 by the SMC was to set up a new decentralised administrative structure. In this new set-up the powers and authority are not centralised in the Commissioner’s office. Not only decision making power but also financial authority has been delegated to the Zonal office in-charge. Each zonal office headed by a Deputy or Assistant Commissioners with support staff manage the planning, implementation and monitoring of municipal functions at the zonal level. He has been empowered with financial authority as well and can sanction any project upto Rs. 2 million without prior approval from the higher authority.

The decision making process has been rationalised and made more broad based. The Municipal Commissioner with senior officials in the rank of Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and the heads of engineering and town planning departments work as a team for the review of day-to-day work and the formulation of policies and programmes. Collective decision making, rather than a hierarchical set-up with top down system of percolating orders, has been adopted as a new strategy. However, decision making is not limited to this team of higher officials only. Even the opinion of the lowest municipal employee also matters in this newly adopted system of collective decision making through consultation.

Meetings are conducted at the municipal headquarters daily for reviewing the progress of complaint redressal and for discussing other related issues at 3:00 p.m. on working days and at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays. Besides the commissioner and zonal heads, heads of departments and health officers participate in the meeting.

Monitoring and surveillance system also includes technological improvement and introduction of modern equipment. The zonal heads and a section of other employees who work in the field have been given wireless set. This facilitates communication, decision making, effective co-ordination among the employees of various zones and allows optimum utilisation of both men and material so that no machine or vehicle remains idle at one place when it is needed at another place in the city.

Extensive complaint registering system at the ward, zonal level and then at the Corporation headquarters has been incorporated in the daily routine. Zonal heads, other senior officials and their staff make a round of their assigned localities daily between 7:30 a.m. and 12 noon to assess the prevailing problems. Two types of cards, red and white, have been introduced by the SMC for registration of complaints by the residents concerning public health and engineering. Depending on the nature of complaints work must be completed in either 24, 48 or upto a maximum of 72 hours. Major complaints, like giving new water connections, laying down of drainage or sewerage lines, repairing of roads, etc. have to be completed within 7 days. (see Annex -III).

Even though the elected wing does not participate in the daily review meeting for decisions making on important issues the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Chairpersons of the Standing Committee are consulted by the Commissioner and other officials.

Introducing strict discipline among all sections of employees, including senior officials, was another bold administrative step undertaken by the SMC. The errant officials and employees who found it difficult to adjust to the new work environment were reprimanded. Strict disciplinary actions, including termination of jobs, were adopted against some of the errant employees. A few senior officials were compelled to take voluntary retirement in order to avoid humiliation.

Although the harsh decisions could have caused large scale agitation by the workers, the genuineness of intention of the authority and support from a majority of the employees made the work easier for the management. Hence, strong action against a small number of disgruntled employees could be taken. Simultaneous initiatives of upgrading the quality of life in the sweeper’s colonies through the provision of potable water supply, sanitation facilities, paving of roads, provision of street lights, etc. brought back the confidence of this section of the workers in the local body. Some of their long pending grievances like unpaid leave salary, medical bills, increment dues, etc. were also sorted out on a priority basis. These attitudinal changes among the senior officials, to appreciate the problems of the field staff, facilitated the co-operation from the latter. A system was also introduced to give awards to one sweeper and sweeperess on 15 August and 26 January on the occasion of the Independence Day and Republic Day of the country for the best performance.

The above mentioned initiatives have improved the working conditions in the entire Corporation. The total 15,000 employees of the Corporation, from the Commissioner to the lowest level, are now a dedicated and hard working lot working almost 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep their city clean and disease free.

The SMC has always remained one of the richest municipalities in the country. The growing industrial base, with big and small industries, has contributed to the city’s income significantly. In the pre-plague period, during 1990-’93, the average per capita income of the SMC was Rs. 771.24 which was more than many other municipal governments in cities of similar size. This was so despite the fact that the municipal revenue potentialities were not exploited to their fullest. The revenue collection was much below the target. The expenditure pattern also reflected the bias towards revenue expenditure, that too on salaries and wages. Capital expenditure on infrastructure development in health sector, water supply, sewerage and sanitation was not given due prominence in the municipal budgets.

Several measures were taken in the post-plague period to streamline the municipal financial management. Proper valuation of goods on which octroi can be levied, introduction of "flying squad" to check octroi evasion, on-line computerisation of octroi collection and its day to day accounting have augmented the octroi collection, which is the mainstay of the municipal revenue income. The collection has increased from Rs. 973.00 million to Rs. 1980.00 million during 1993-’94 and 1997-’98. Rationalisation of property tax structures, valuation of properties at close intervals instead of the previous practice of four yearly revision, have enhanced the property tax collection as well. Better enforcement and monitoring has improved the collection of taxes from 30 per cent to more than 80 per cent of the total demand.

A significant progress has also been made in rationalising the expenditure pattern. Administrative expenses have been significantly reduced from 41 per cent in 1993-’94 to 35 per cent in 1996-’97. The capital expenditure on infrastructure projects has increased by 47 per cent during the same period. Table 15 shows that the revenue income of the SMC has grown significantly from Rs. 1387.16 million in 1993-’94 to a proposed Rs. 3255.37 million in 1997-’98. The capital income which was almost insignificant in 1993-’94 at a value of Rs. 71.32 million, has also increased significantly by almost 713.32 per cent to total Rs. 580.06 million in 1998-’99. The most spectacular increase has been in the total capital expenditure which has grown by 544.24 per cent, from only Rs. 342.4 million in 1993-’94 to proposed Rs. 2205.88 million in 1998-’99.

Table 15

Income and Expenditure of the SMC (Rs. in Million)

This focus on the capital expenditure by the SMC has facilitated the provision of improved sanitation and public health facilities to a great extent. In order to execute long term capital projects market borrowing through the flotation of municipal bonds is the future plan of the SMC. Premier credit rating organisations have been engaged by the SMC to ascertain its credit worthiness.

Technological improvements in the finance and accounts department by full computerisation has enhanced the productivity manifold. Besides financing the project by its own revenue surplus and loans the SMC has approached private participation in infrastructure development. This is a new initiative in the Indian context. They are inviting global tenders on infrastructure projects like, Mass Rapid Transport System, amusement park, trade centre, water supply and sewerage projects, land development projects and such others. For the first time in India, the Corporation has proposed to install a captive power project with private participation in order to reduce its own expenditure on electricity consumption.

1. Disposal of dead animals.
2. Leakage of !&" water line.
3. Disposal of refuse / garbage.
4. Overflow of drainage.
5. Leakage of public stand-post.
6. Mixing of drainage water with water line.
7. Shortage of chlorinisation in water line.

The survey and interviews conducted by the author with the SMC officials, elected representatives, industries representatives and community groups reveal the following reactions and responses.

The actions and strategies followed by the SMC to keep the city clean were initially simply a reactive bureaucratic measure enforced vigorously by the officials and the staff. The steps included ensuring strict discipline, both among municipal staff in performing their duties and the public at large, by strictly adhering to the garbage disposal instructions issued by the SMC, charging of administrative cost for removing garbage thrown indiscriminately and such others. These steps created disenchantment among almost all section of people at the beginning. It was perceived as a high-handed bureaucratic drive. The Municipal Commissioner who initiated the process became a target of criticism by the common people, media and a section of political leaders. Industrial houses, used to SMC’s indifferent attitude towards environmental offences they committed by throwing industrial waste indiscriminately, were annoyed with the new work pattern of the SMC.

Demolition of slums and buildings for road widening and city’s beautification created hue and cry among certain political groups. It became a major political issue . The influential builder’s lobby tried to bring political pressure through the state government’s intervention to stop these activities. Even the local media criticised the whole drive as a short term gimmick against the well being of the common people. A section of the municipal employees was also extremely unhappy.

However, the SMC overcame the initial resistance through strict compliance of the action by taking recourse to legal options on one side and persuasion and confidence building on the other. Gradually the cleanliness drive which SMC initially started purely as reactive measures after plague became a part of urban management system of SMC through people’s co-operation.

• Strict compliance of the grievance redressal system helped in bringing back confidence of the people in SMC. People started co-operating with SMC.
• Support of the elected wing of the Corporation made the process easier. Election to the Municipal Corporation was held in June 1995, a few months after the plague broke out. The horror of plague and municipal non-functioning was still vivid in the memory of citizens. Therefore provision of basic amenities and environmental cleanliness were the important election promises of all the contesting parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the election by a thumping majority. Out of 99 elected councillors, 97 were from the BJP. According to the present Mayor of SMC, Shri Navneetlal Jariwala, when the BJP came to power, a Five – Point Action Programme was developed with emphasis on water, sewerage, sanitation, greenery and a disease free Surat. It became easier for the bureaucrats to perform when cleanliness became a political agenda. Even though some of the politicians were close to the builder’s lobby they did not interfere in the SMC’s drive. Even the political leaders supported the executive’s actions of demolishing the illegal constructions not only by giving them moral support but also by direct involvement. On many occasions they accompanied the municipal demolition squad and even women councillors were not lagging behind.
• People of Surat became used to not getting services from the SMC and the lackadaisical attitude of the officers and the staff. When people realised that the work ethics had totally changed in the SMC local people not only supported the action whole heartedly but also co-operated with the SMC by observing garbage disposal instructions and maintaining environmental cleanliness. People also came forward for voluntary demolition of their premises to assist the road widening.
• When the SMC consolidated its position and gained confidence it tried to persuade the citizens and representatives of the business community through regular interaction. This helped in removing their opposition to certain actions of the SMC.
• The Industrial and business communities have started taking keen interest in the city development. According to the President of the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce, Chamber is proposing a collaboration with the SMC in various projects for city beautification and infrastructure development like multi-storied parking places in crowded market areas, developing public transport system, parks, exhibition grounds etc. It has set up a company – Surat Environment Protection Limited in 1997 and assigned a project to the National Productivity Council to study viability of solid waste management in the city. In the social sector, some members of the Chamber of Commerce have adopted municipal schools where computers have been installed. According to the President of the Chamber of Commerce even though there was some initial resistance from the business community because of the measures like administrative changes introduced by the SMC, they now support the SMC and shall work together in future for the betterment of he city.
• Responses of the community have also been very positive. Constant interaction of the ground staff and periodic interaction of the senior officials with the local community in slums has increased awareness about cleanliness, hygiene and health. Corporation staff hold regular public meetings for health education through poster campaign, audio and video medium. People are participating in neighbourhood cleanliness drives.

• The SMC’s multi-pronged strategies towards environmental sanitation and garbage disposal have not only improved its credibility among the citizens of Surat, but has also invited international attention and recognition. It is now a model for other municipalities in the country and abroad. Municipal officials, elected representatives, mayors of different city governments and other city managers have visited Surat to see the transformation of Surat in such a short span of time. Inspired by the sanitation service in Surat, a study team from Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai reported that the Surat experiment was worth emulating in improving the solid waste removal services in Mumbai. A week after the report was submitted, the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner introduced several initiatives similar to those adopted in Surat.
• The leadership factor played a prominent role at the initial stage of the project. The able leadership of the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. S.R. Rao, provided the necessary strength and enthused courage among the municipal employees. It improved the work culture immensely, helped capacity building and facilitated technology upgradation.
• The collective decision making has inculcated confidence among all sections of the workers and significantly enhanced their self image.
• Decentralisation of administrative and financial authority has speeded up the decision making and problem solving processes.
• The whole exercise seems to have been largely successful in bringing back a sense of belonging and pride among the citizens in their own city. This in itself, according to me, is a major achievement.
• The perceptible impact on the quality of living environment of the poorer sections of the society and significant decline in morbidity and mortality among the slum population, proves the success of the policies and programmes introduced by the SMC.
• A partnership among the provider of services and stakeholders is slowly but surely taking shape. SMC has recently launched a concept called "Surat First", where the private organisations, non-government organisations, educational institutions and others have been invited to develop Surat as the best city. The response to this call by the local body has been very encouraging, with approximately 184 such groups coming forward to collaborate in different programmes like adoption of slums for development, infrastructure development, adoption of municipal educational institutions and many others.
• The administrative decentralisation has facilitated the establishment of productive rapport between the elected members and the zonal level administration. This in turn has hastened the process of solution of environmental problems of the constituencies. The SMC has 33 women elected members from 33 wards, in tune with the provision of reservation of 33 per cent of the elected seats for women in the urban local bodies in the 74th Constitutional Amendment. The role of women councillors at the ward level is very positive. They interact with the local residents and try to ameliorate their local problem with help from the administrative department. Each councillor has a fund of Rs. 0.10 million for the development of their ward, which they use for provision of minor facilities in the constituency. Besides, in their capacity as members of different sub-committees like Health committee, Hospital committee, Slum improvement committee, etc. in the Corporation they interact with the executive wing for the speedy implementation of local projects.

• The garbage management programme of the SMC has taken care of collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste but it has left the recycling aspects completely un-addressed.
• The SMC has not yet developed any mechanical waste disposal system. The waste, at present, is disposed in landfills or at dump sites. Toxic and hazardous wastes are also dumped in the same manner, along with other city waste in the landfills. No special initiative has been taken to segregate hazardous waste from biodegradable and recyclable wastes. No attempt has been made to recycle the biodegradable waste.
• Punitive actions like "Administrative charges" should not be followed as a long term practice. Awareness creation, capacity building and citizen’s involvement in the entire process would eventually help in minimising environmental offences and facilitate gradual withdrawal of administrative charges.
• The very dependence on one senior bureaucrat to keep the initiatives going makes the whole process highly vulnerable. The Surat experience is primarily an outcome of the strict managerial and administrative measures adopted under the leadership of a bureaucrat, Mr. S. R. Rao. He was transferred in December 8, 1997 and a new incumbent, Mr. S. Jagadesan, has taken over who is equally efficient and committed. It is because of the efficiency of the new Commissioner that the initiatives introduced earlier have retained the same momentum. Many senior leaders of the SMC, during our interaction with them, expressed the view that they were able to achieve so much in so little a time only because of Mr. Rao’s leadership. Even though the post of the Commissioner as the executive head exists ever since the inception of the Corporation in 1966, no other Commissioner was able to guide the municipal officials as a leader. However, the officials were optimistic that the extremely well laid out system of environmental management which has been developed in more than two years would be able to sustain itself in the long run.
• It goes without saying that sustainable development cannot be achieved without the effective participation of all the actors and stakeholders. The study reveals that very limited initiatives have been undertaken to involve the community in planning and management of programmes at the local level. The relationship between the SMC and the community has been more of a provider-user type than of partnership.
• As per the provisions of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, 1992, institutions of Ward Committees are to be constituted for one or more wards, in every city with a population of more than 0.3 million, with elected representatives of the constituent wards and the representatives of the community as its members. This provision was introduced to facilitate interaction and involvement of the community in local developmental issues. Even though Surat city has a population of 2.0 million with 33 wards, the ward committees have not been constituted as yet. In the absence of such institutional mechanism for ensuring community participation, there is limited scope for citizen’s participation in ward level planning and decision.
• Conspicuous absence of non-government organisations in Surat is a glaring drawback of the process. Due to the commercial nature of the city, the number of service oriented organisations is very limited. There is no conscious effort made by the SMC to involve the few already existing ones in the entire process. The non-government organisations also did not come forward to offer their help. They argue that when the administration is doing good work they need not interfere. However, since the SMC has consolidated the system and earned credibility it is time to initiate more dialogues with various local citizen groups, NGOs, trade unions and private enterprises for greater participation and partnership.
• Due to the non-involvement of NGOs social mobilisation at the grassroot level is very low. Their participation is only limited to co-operation with the SMC by not throwing garbage on the road. Community based action groups responsible for area cleaning, garbage collection, monitoring of local environment and checking other problems, which are emerging in other cities in the country, are totally absent in Surat. Community participation, according to the officials of the SMC, was sought in performing a few supervisory duties such as non-compliance of complaints in time, social or participatory auditing of local conditions, checking street lights, verification of water quality checks, etc. However, they do not sustain for a very long time due to a lack of initiative at the community level.
• The role of women at the grassroot level is also not very remarkable. Although mostly women take part in the awareness programmes on health and hygiene organised by the SMC, their direct role in the neighbourhood development is limited to only keeping the surroundings of their own houses clean. No institutional mechanism has been developed to formalise women’s participation at the grassroot level.
• According to a senior official of the Corporation, although decentralisation has quickened the process of decision making financial decentralisation is not free of corruption at lower levels. Hence, social auditing is a must to check corruption but unfortunately it is totally absent.
• The present Commissioner of the SMC is of the view that the major problem faced by the city is a lack of concentrated efforts of various other departments / organisations working in the city to provide civic facilities and services. The efforts of the SMC in isolation are not enough. For consolidating and sustaining the development process an integrated long term development plan for the city, detailing the various actions to be taken by the implementing agencies, needs to be prepared in which the SMC can play the vital role of the co-ordinator.

• A major realisation dawned on the citizens and the municipal officials alike after plague that economic wealth is not all that is required for ensuring environmental safety and a disease free living environment. This realisation created a favourable environment for introducing drastic changes.
• Public support facilitates innovations in urban environment management.
• Political will is extremely important for successful public policy changes.
• Media support plays a dominant role in the creation of public awareness and acceptance of change.

Baru, Sanjaya, 1994, "Rats and Diamonds", in Economic Times, 29 September, New Delhi.

Das, Biswaroop, 1994, Socio-Economic Study of Slums in Surat City, Centre of Social Studies, Surat.

Desai, Darshan, 1994, "Surat Health Department – Plagued by Corruption", in Indian Express, 11 October, New Delhi.

Ghosh, Archana and S. Sami Ahmad, 1996, Plague in Surat – Crisis in Urban Governance, Concept Publishers, New Delhi.

Government of India, 1996, INDIA – National Report for the Second United Conference on Human Settlements: Habitat II, Istanbul, 1996, New Delhi.

Patel, Almitra, 1996, "Bangalore can emulate Surat in Cleanliness" in Deccan Herald, September 9, 1996.

Planning Commission, 1992, Eighth Plan Document, Government of India, New Delhi.

Rao, S. R. (Year not mentioned), `Surat's Experience: Making a Difference', unpublished discussion paper.

Shah, Ghanshyam, 1997, Public Health and Urban Development – Plague in Surat, Sage publications, , New Delhi.

WHO, 1995, Report of an Interregional Meeting on Prevention and Control of Plague, March, , New Delhi.