Research - Drinking Water

Global change, wastewater and health in fast growing economies - Paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

This paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability draws attention to the serious issue of poor water quality in the developing economies and argues that among the water challenges in the 21st century, the water quality health nexus is one of the most serious challenges that will need to be addressed at an urgent level.The paper directs attention at the rapid and unequal growth and development patterns emerging in developing economies and the impact of this development on the environment and human populations. The paper directs attention to the negative impact of this development on one of the important natural resources such as water and the linkages between water quality and public health of populations.

Groundwater hydrology and groundwater quality in and around Bangalore city - Department of Mines and Geology (2011)

This report by the Department of Mines and Geology describes the findings of a study on urban groundwater hydrology and groundwater quality in and around Bangalore city. Earlier studies carried out by the Department of Mines and Geology during 1994, 1995 and 2003 on the groundwater quality of Bangalore Metropolis had found that the groundwater pollution in the city has mainly been due to sewage disposal and recommendations have been made to prevent pollution from sewage and industrial wastes. The supply of the required quantity of water to the population continues to remain a big challenge to the concerned authorities in Bangalore.

Democratisation of water management - The experience of Tamil Nadu with governance reforms

Through these three papers, the authors argue that the solutions to the global water crisis do not lie in investing more and more money into the water sector or in the introduction of better technology. Nor is the introduction of the private sector and the reduction in the role of the government going to help. Rather, the time has come to introduce changes at the basic or the fundamental level in the way in which the water sector functions.

There is an urgent need to bring about reforms in governance by moving towards decentralisation and democratisation, leading to  involvement of people from all the sections of the society, who know and understand that they are responsible for the system and its functioning, as well as by introducing principles of equity and social justice. The papers demonstrate the successful implementation of this approach by describing the experience of Tamil Nadu at democratising water management through introduction of reforms at the level of governance, through involvement of the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD).

Life, livelihoods, ecosystems, culture: Entitlements and allocation of water for competing uses – A report by the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India

This report has been prepared by the members of the working group set up by the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India on the issue of “Entitlements and allocations for livelihoods and ecosystem needs". The introductory chapter sets out the context of the report. The immediate context is the work of the Forum over the last 4-5 years, and the learning that this particular issue leads to many water conflicts in India.