How Sustainable Are Indian Cities?

Abstract

This article examines the fifth iteration of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) to determine the state of urban India. We have some surprising revelations. First, regardless of class and caste affiliations, the gap between the higher and lower hierarchies in the NFHS-5 has shrunk since the previous edition, with the exception of provision of on-premises drinking water. Second, in combination with the growing body of literature on caste and ethnicity-based residential segregation in Indian cities, the most recent batch of data asserts unequivocally that such a segregation mechanism has not manifested itself in unequal access to public amenities; this is another positive sign. Third, profound inequality exists along class lines. Because class is only distantly tied to caste or ethnic ascriptions, we can observe a vast swath of wealthless residuals along the caste–ethnic hierarchy. We publish these studies in light of India’s globally attuned aspiration to attain Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 10, and 11.

本文研究了印度的第5次全国家庭健康调查(NFHS 5), 以确定印度城市的状况。本文展示了令人惊讶的发现。首先, 自第4次调查以来, 除了自来水供应, NFHS 5中较高和较低等级之间的差距, 在各个阶级和种姓都已经缩小。其次, 伴随着越来越多的印度城市种姓和种族居住隔离的研究, 最新数据明确表明, 这种隔离机制并没有体现在公共设施使用上的不平等；这是另一个积极的信号。第三, 阶级之间存在着极大的不平等。由于阶级只与种姓或种族略微相关, 所以种姓—种族等级有很大的贫穷残差。这些研究, 旨在思考印度实现全球可持续发展目标中的第6、7、10和11目标。

En este artículo se examina la quinta iteración de la Encuesta Nacional de la Salud Familiar (NFHS-5), para establecer el estado de la India urbana al respecto. Encontramos algunas revelaciones sorprendentes. Primero, independientemente de las afiliaciones por clase o casta, la brecha entre las jerarquías superiores e inferiores en la NFHS-5 se ha reducido desde la edición previa, con la excepción del suministro de agua potable a domicilio. Segundo, en combinación con el creciente corpus de literatura sobre la segregación residencial basada en casta y etnia en las ciudades indias, la tanda de datos más reciente afirma de forma inequívoca que dicho mecanismo de segregación no se ha manifestado en un acceso desigual a los servicios públicos; este es otro signo positivo. Tercero, existe una profunda desigualdad entre las clases sociales. Puesto que la clase sólo está ligada de forma remota a las adscripciones de casta o etnia, podemos observar una amplia franja de residuos de los sin riqueza a lo largo de la jerarquía de castas y etnias. Publicamos estos estudios a la luz de la aspiración general de la India por alcanzar los Objetivos 6, 7, 10 y 11 del Desarrollo Sustentable.

Key Words:

• India
• inequality
• NFHS-5
• SDG
• urban amenities
• water and sanitation

关键词:

• 印度
• 不平等
• NFHS 5
• 可持续发展目标
• 城市设施
• 水和卫生。

Palabras clave:

• agua y saneamiento
• desigualdad
• facilidades urbanas
• India
• NFHS

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to the two reviewers for their constructive comments. We are also grateful to Heejun Chang for being supportive throughout the process.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pritam Ghosh

PRITAM GHOSH is a Research Scholar in the Department of Geography at the University of Calcutta, Kolkata, and State Aided College Teacher in the Department of Geography, Ramsaday College, Haora, India. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include child, maternal, and sexual health issues in India, and geographical and social inequality in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in South Asian countries.

Swasti Vardhan Mishra

SWASTI VARDHAN MISHRA is an independent scholar. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interest lies in critical urban theories of the Global South, decolonization of knowledge, and critical cartography. He is currently working on the interface that connects Subaltern Studies Collective’s critique (especially Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s) and everyday urban life in the cities of South Asia.