Sharing and handing over of STDM based Municipal Informal Tenure Information System (MInTIS)
Sharing and handing over of STDM based Municipal Informal Tenure Information System (MInTIS) program was held in in Ratnanagar, Chitwan on 29th November 2019, Friday. The program was organized by Ratnanagar Municipality in collaboration with Lumanti Support Group for Shelter with the motive to disseminate the municipal survey report produced under the MInTIS project which is being implemented with financial and technical support from UN Habitat/GLTN. The program was also aimed to hand over the technology of STDM based Municipal Informal Tenure Information System to the Municipality authority.
Speaking on the occasion, Krishna Prasad Khanal, the Parliamentarian of Province 3 proudly stated, It is the matter of pride that we can say that we have the systematic information system for survey and we have already accomplished survey works to collect information of the informal settlements. The efforts made by Lumanti Support Group for Shelter and UN Habitat on producing the systematic information about the informal tenure of the Municipality adopting the STDM based Information System is the commendable initiative, he said. He further said, the systematic information about the informal tenure is in our hand and now this is time to focus for action to manage those informal settlements. Nation is in the process of formulating the act; the province government will also formulate the provincial act in line with the National act and the informal settlements will be managed on the basis of the indicators under the act, he added.
Appreciating the support from Lumanti Support Group for Shelter and UN Habitat, Kanchan Khanal, the Parliamentarian of Province 3 said, this is the exemplary initiative done with support from Lumanti Support Group for Shelter and UN Habitat. The identified 1504 households resided as the informal settlers need to be managed and it is the duty of the government, she added. On her remarks, she also expressed her commitment to raise the voice of the city in regards to the management of informal settlements in the province and stated.
Mayor of the Ratnanagar Municipality Narayan Ban, on his remarks said, I am delighted to become the first Municipality that has completed the identification of the households who are resided at the informal settlements. It is the matter of pride for all of us, he added. After the endorsement of the National Act and Provincial Act, the Municipality, on the basis of the act will effectively manage the informal settlements in close coordination with the community federations and other city actors, he stated. The settlements resided at the vulnerable situation will be relocated at the safe site through coordination with the respective community groups, he added.
GLTN Program Coordinator of UN Habitat Rajaram Chhatkuli, highlighting the use of the information system, stressed the need of effective planning for managing the informal settlements. He also urged for the effective role of the Municipality for the management of the informal settlements and expressed commitment on behalf of UN Habitat for any technical assistance.
Founder Chair and Advisor of Lumanti Support Group for Shelter Prafulla Man Singh Pradhan, on his remarks, stressed the need of Municipal ownership, institutionalization and replication of such technology. He said, a tangible plan should be develop to mobilize the trained human resources for the sustainability of such initiatives. Basic initiatives are on place now; there exists the conducive environment to begin with. Thus, this is the right time to address the situation, he added.
On the occasion, Chairperson of Community Federation also voiced for the effective management of the identified 1504 households in informal settlements.
Prior to the remarks from the speakers, Singha Bahadur Lama, Field Coordinator of Lumanti Support Group for Shelter in Ratnanagar has presented his paper focusing on the result of the STDM based Informal Tenure Study and highlighted some issues and challenges that have come across during the household survey process which is followed by the open floor discussion. Some key issues raised during the open floor were:
• Municipality is requested to find the possible way out to incorporate the left-over and missed households in the informal settlements
• Despite of the restriction from the Municipality, there are some houses newly built in the informal settlements. The Municipality is requested to take initiation in this regards.
• There should be a policy or regulation that discourage the buying and selling of the land / houses within the informal settlements.
Immediately after the open floor, Lumanti Support Group for Shelter and UN Habitat representatives jointly handed over the STDM based Municipal Informal Tenure Information System (MInTIS) technology and the filled-up forms to the Municipal Mayor. The program was formally initiated with the welcome remarks from the Chairperson of Ward-2, Tilak Raj Sharma Poudel.