Urban ministry launches website on public health

In an effort to provide requisite information of public concern regarding urban water supply and sanitation at national level, the Union Urban Development Ministry on April 29 has launched a user-friendly and dedicated website entitled its technical arm, Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO).

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Developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC), the website http://cpheeo.nic.in would provide all latest and periodically updated information to general public dealing with urban water supply and sanitation.

Any Internet user, ‘who can operate the Internet, can easily access the relevant information related to ongoing sanitisation programmes and its current status in the States and cities,’ Urban Ministry claims.

While launching the website, M Ramachandran, Urban Development Secretary said, “The website will greatly help sensitising the States and cities in the context of ongoing programmes under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).”

The CPHEEO deals with urban water supply and sanitation at national level while urban water supply and sanitation (UWS&S) incorporates to public health and economic growth of country.

This website covers ample information about ‘accelerated urban water supply programme’, ‘urban infrastructure development scheme for small and medium towns (uidssmt)’, ‘Central Scheme for Solid Waste Management & Drainage in10 Selected Airfield Towns’, ‘integrated low cost sanitation schemes ( ilcs), ‘solid waste management programme’, ‘Japan Bank for International Cooperation programme’, ‘Asian Development bank’ and ‘World bank programme.’

Several reports of these agencies can also be accessed from the website including information on various loan schemes available to ‘State Government/ Water Supply & Sewerage’.

Planning commission has been providing continuous fund allocation for developing the site since 7th five-year plan to 10th five-year plan, while in the 11th five-year plan the scheme would require Rs. 8.4 crore. IIM Ahmedabad is developing the MIS Modules.

The Ministry has indicated that after completion the MIS module and implementation of the schemes, the Centre would set MIS cells at state level for care taking. For the first 2-3 years, the central government will handle it but later it would be transferred to the respected state administration and then they will have to bear all the expenses of operation and maintenance.

NIC was developing this site since 2005. This initiative will no doubt be a key tool for information collection and dissemination on the particular sector. The pilot project of MIS system on water supply and sanitation sector was started in 1988-89 with the help of World Bank.