Tackling the water challenges in Indian cities amid COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Acknowledging the overreaching importance of WHO guidelines of frequent handwashing with soap and water in battling COVID-19, this paper unravels the state of water supply in Indian cities and examines the challenges of conventional water policy and governance assumptions amid the COVID-19 crisis in India. Urban citizens, especially living in the slums, very often need to rush to access the water sources, making social distancing practically impossible. Apart from increasing public investment, this paper argues for rethinking the existing framework of water supply through institutional reforms focusing on decentralisation, community participation, and adoption of integrated water resource management policies.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban water
• COVID-19
• India
• south Asia

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Notes on contributors

Seemantini Chattopadhyay

I am an Assistant Professor in Economics at Govt. College of Engineering and Textile Technology, Serampore, West Bengal, India. My research interest lies in development studies in general, and decentralisation, resource, and water management in particular.