Economies of water in Delhi: a neo-Polanyian analysis

ABSTRACT

The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India’s capital Delhi, using a neo-Polanyian approach of instituted economic process. It analyses the systems of provision, distribution, appropriation and consumption of water, and the formation of scales of these economies of water. The paper systematically compares and analyses the spatially divided and partially overlapping economies of water in the planned colonies and slum-designated areas in the city. It describes the dynamics of growth and stagnation of the different economies of water within the waterscape of the capital and its implications for sustainability.

KEYWORDS:

• Bricolage
• drinking water
• economies of water
• instituted economic process
• Delhi
• India

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the constructive comments received on the earlier versions of the paper from the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and an anonymous reviewer.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.