Abstract

Background: Rapid urbanization in India leads to development of slums in urban area. These increasing number of slum dwellers are the key concerns for the urban planner. This study will help us to know the present scenario of accesses to safe drinking water and availability of adequate sanitation at a slum in Kolkata. Objectives: (1) To estimate the accessibility of safe drinking water to the households at that slum and (2) to estimate the availability of sanitary latrine to the households.
Materials and Methods: An observational descriptive study with cross-sectional design was conducted at Bagbazar Slum, st th Kolkata, West Bengal. The study period was from 1 April 2016 to 30 April 2016. During the study period, there were total 450 households living at that area. 200 households were selected by simple random sampling. Each household was selected using Random Number table. One adult member from each household was interviewed at their home using predesigned and pretested. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2016 software.
Results: About 94% of the selected households were using piped water supplied by Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 6% were using bottled water for drinking purpose. 78% households had to use shared sanitary latrine into their household premises, but 8 (4%) households did not have any latrine facility.
Conclusions: All the household had access to safe drinking water. There is a need for improvement in sanitation facility at that slum.