The impact assessment of Katchi Abadi Improvement Programme (KIP) in Punjab [Pakistan]

The regularization and improvement of squatter settlements/katchi abadis has been recognized all over the world and particularly in the developing world. Of, late the government of Pakistan also realized that these katchi abadis must be formalized and improved. Therefore, a major Katchi Abadi Improvement Programme (KIP) was launched in 1985 and continued up to 1990. The overall objective of the study was to gauge the progress against the intervention of KIP and assess its impact on demographic, social, physical, health related, and economic aspects of the households living in improved katchi abadlis as well as to assess their perception about the social and environmental improvements and the level of satisfaction regarding the utilities and community facilities provided through KIP. The result of the study showed that the KIP has visible effects on demographic aspects of the dwellers. The average household size decreased from 11 to 8, number o f households per structure reduced from 3 to 1 and higher percentage of change (70% from Joint to Nuclear families occurred which reduced the overcrowding and congestion in the katchi abadis. The physical improvements carried out through KIP had greater effects on the social aspects of the target population. Consequently, the community conflicts were reduced, the mobility of women, children and venders was increased, the social visits oh relatives and friends enhanced, the opportunity for arranging the marriages of children increased, literacy level was improved, and health status of the dwellers was improved. All these improvements/ better effects have positive impact of strengthening the relationship, lessening the women burden and exertion and improvement in love and affection, facilitation in marriage proposals and arrangements and increase in human capabilities in the katchi abadis. The implementation of KIP brought many physical changes. The residents of katchi abadis h ad increased the covered area-added rooms-of houses (76 percent of the respondents reported), improved the quality of construction in individual houses, and 63 percent of the respondents reported that the layouts of the katchi abadis were improved. The physical improvements have positive impacts, the number of persons per room was reduced and the area has improved from the point of view of conveyance and social interaction and people were happier. The implementation of KIP has brought many effects on the economic situation in katchi abadis. Resultantly, the average households' monthly income increased the average land prices per unit area enhanced, the households' monthly expenditures on health were reduced, employment opportunities were increased, and businesses were flourished which reduced the poverty level in katchi abadis. There were no utilities and community facilities in katchi abadis before the implementation of KIP. It was observed during the survey that all utilit i es and community facilities were available in katchi abadis. Therefore, it may be concluded that the dwellers' access to physical facilities and social services has improved due to implementation of KIP. The implementation of KIP has brought mixed effects (both positive and negative), as for as occupancy status is concerned. It was reveled that about two third of the dwellers were original squatters and remaining one third sold out the occupied land. This is a negative effect of regularization and improvements of katchi abadis that may has the negative impact and raise the trend of further squatting. Similarly, more than 90% dwellers are living in owned houses, which reflect the development of belongings of the residents with the settlements. Perception of the dwellers about the various environmental and social improvements that undertook due to KIP was better. The level of improvement in these aspects has been perceived high. This shows that the environmental and social sit u ations were extremely poor before the implementation of KIP. Similarly, the satisfaction level of the katchi abadis inhabitants, with the availability of utilities and community facilities was high. The KIP intervention has good effects on physical and social environment as well as on provision of utilities and community facilities, which has resulted into positive impact on perception, and satisfaction of the community. It can be concluded that the programme (KIP) has been relatively successful to bring positive effects on the demographic, social, physical, and economic aspects of the inhabitants of katchi abadis and has better impact, as is also perceived by the beneficial communities. Moreover, this reflects that the residents of katchi abadis are almost satisfied with the improvements occurred due to intervention of KIP.