What is the Program

Saath’s Integrated Area Development Program is a long-term, participatory initiative designed to improve the living conditions and socio-economic opportunities of Vatva and similar underdeveloped neighborhoods. The program brings together city-level stakeholders, including government bodies, civil society, and community members, to co-create a future for these localities.

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A ten-year plan in three phases driven by community-led planning

Phase 1

Focuses on initiation, community action, and empowerment, involving the setup of Urban Resource Centres (URCs), participatory planning, and the enhancement of basic infrastructure and services.

Phase 2

Involves scaling the intervention, deepening engagement with complex challenges such as land rights and climate vulnerability, and building a strong stakeholder ecosystem.

Phase 3

Aims to influence policy and enable replication of the model in other neighborhoods, establishing a framework for participatory urban governance across cities.

What Has Been Its Impact

The program has already delivered tangible and wide-ranging results in Vatva

  • 62,920 households benefitted from improved basic services.
  • Basic infrastructure upgrades included:
    • Road construction (5.33 km of paver blocks and 6.98 km of asphalt roads for 12,425 households).
    • Drainage improvements (9,033 HH), manhole installations (6,943 HH), and water supply provisions (6,611 HH).
    • Street lighting (6,702 HH) and solid waste collection (21,206 HH).
  • Urban environment initiatives like:
    • Dustbin distribution (8,059 HH), mosquito fogging (15,876 HH), and tree plantation (124 trees).
  • Housing-related services:
    • House Non-Objection Certificates (5,112 HH), and housing improvement support (590 HH).
  • Government investment: Over ₹6.73 crore mobilized for infrastructure development.

Alongside physical infrastructure, the program has built institutional and community capacity:

  • Urban Resource Centres have reached 20,000 households, serving as hubs for community planning and service delivery.
  • 40+ community leaders trained to champion local development.
  • Community-driven action has emerged across critical sectors—health, education, waste management, gender sensitization, sanitation, and local governance.
  • A bottom-up model for participatory urban planning, aligned with the 74th Constitutional Amendment, is now demonstrable and ready for scale.
  • A strong stakeholder network and institutional ecosystem are in place to support replication in Phase 2