Ward-Level Social Vulnerability Assessment in Kolhapur City Using a Composite Development Index

This paper assesses intra-urban social vulnerability across five administrative wards (A-E) of Kolhapur City, Maharashtra, using a multi-indicator framework centered on basic service accessibility. Ward-level secondary data on household water connections, educational infrastructure (primary schools, high schools and colleges), and hospital facilities were normalized to a 0-1 scale and combined through a weighted composite index to derive a Development Index. The indicator weights used in the composite were 0.20 (water), 0.30 (education) and 0.50 (healthcare), reflecting the relative importance assigned in the assessment. Results demonstrate strong spatial inequality in service provision. Ward E consistently records the highest normalized scores for water (1.00), education (1.00) and hospitals (1.00), yielding the maximum Development Index (1.00). Ward A attains a moderate Development Index (0.61). In contrast, Ward C (0.03) and Ward D (0.04) show the lowest composite performance, indicating high vulnerability associated with limited service access. Population distribution was used to interpret service pressure, with Ward B recording the largest population (217,143) and Ward C the smallest (68,848). The findings support ward-specific prioritization of investments in water supply, educational facilities and healthcare infrastructure to reduce vulnerability and strengthen urban resilience in Kolhapur.