Working Paper 1: The Challenges of Urban Water Security and Growth in India
India is one of the most water stressed nations in the world, largely due to poor management of resources, over abstraction of ground water and an uneven distribution of seasonal and regional precipitation. Water and its various components – excess and shortage, supply and demand, use and availability, and sanitation – are all interconnected and have an impact on the economic functioning of the country. Indian cities are some of the fastest growing in the world, and it is projected that over half the population in the country will live in urban centres by 2030. It is important to note here that no Indian city supplies 24/7 water to all its residents as of 2020. The ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission aims to rectify this and provide potable water connections to all across the country. Urban water security is a multi-faceted issue: if the supply side is not combined with adequate demand management, alternative sources of water, widespread wastewater and sewage treatment and an integrated circular system, our cities will continue to be water stressed.
This working paper aims to bring to light the varying degrees of water stress in six cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Surat, Chennai and Kolkata) across India that collectively and individually are major contributors to the nation’s economic output, either through production, industrial development or by virtue of human resources. Thus, bringing to focus the potential economic gain each city places at risk from inaction over water resources. Each of the cities face different aspects of water stress, either because of drought, flooding, poor storage and access, contamination of groundwater, and other factors or a combination of issues.
Through this working paper, we aim to bring to light these linkages that must be taken into account with greater emphasis in emerging urban governance structures and the planning and implementation of any policy that is directly or indirectly affected by water shortage.
