Spatial Assessment of Household Perceptions of Urban Infrastructure and Basic Municipal Services in Prayagraj City, India

Abstract

Rapid urban growth creates increasing demand for roads, drainage, sewerage, waste management, water supply, street lighting, parking, green spaces and other municipal services. Understanding how residents experience these services is important for inclusive urban planning. This study examines household perceptions of urban infrastructure and basic municipal services in Prayagraj City, Uttar Pradesh. Primary data were collected from 384 households between September 2024 and January 2025. The sample was distributed equally across eight municipal zones, with 48 households from each zone. Ten major municipal problems were examined: roads and maintenance, drainage, solid waste management, sewerage, street lighting, parking, parks and green spaces, encroachment, water supply and public toilets. Descriptive percentage analysis was combined with Pearson’s Chi-square test and Cramer’s V to examine whether reported municipal problems varied significantly across zones. Roads and maintenance were reported by 53.9 percent of households, in drainage (49.7 percent) and solid waste management (49.5 percent). Sewerage was reported by 44.0 percent, street lighting by 42.7 percent, parking by 41.1 percent, parks and green spaces by 40.1 percent, encroachment by 35.2 percent, water supply by 30.2 percent, and public toilets by 25.0 percent. However, the Chi-square analysis did not identify a statistically significant association between municipal zone and any of the ten reported problems at the 5 percent level. Cramer’s V values ranged from 0.101 to 0.174, indicating weak associations. The results suggest that municipal service concerns are broadly distributed across Prayagraj rather than being statistically concentrated in one particular zone.