Officials said that with increasing pace of urbanisation, water supply
and sanitation aspects were getting greater priority but much needed to
be done in these areas.

One important reason why these services
were suffering is the lack of capacity that urban local bodies have in
creating proper infrastructure that deals with water supply, sewage and
drainage systems.

It is to help urban local bodies in these
aspects that the ministry has decided to empanel firms with requisite
expertise in these areas, officials said.

They said that water
supply in most cities was intermittent and as per 2011 Census, only 32.7
per cent people in urban areas had sewer connections, 38.2 per cent
septic tanks and while 12.6 per cent still defecate in open.

In most of the towns there is no planned storm drainage system.

They said keeping in mind the challenges of urbanisation, the ministry
had decided to empanel agencies to create a pool of capacity that can
provide technical support to states and urban local bodies to implement
various projects, conduct studies and also impart training in the field
of water supply and sanitation.

They said an expression of
interest had been sought from eligible firms. Earlier the ministry has
already empanelled consultancy firms for solid waste management to help
states and urban local bodies.