Navigating the city’s waterscape: gendering everyday dynamics of water access from multiple sources

ABSTRACT

Large-scale secondary data show that water access is improving in Indian slums; however, women still need to procure water from multiple sources. Based on field research conducted in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, this paper examines the everyday negotiations that urban women from slums undertake at different water sources. The study finds that women depend on street taps, water vendors, water tankers, and in-house connections in varying degrees. The results show variation in negotiations that women engage in at multiple sites and sources. These variations have emerged as a result of the characteristics of the water sources and household-level water storage capacity.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender and diversity
• Governance and public policy
• Social sector – Water and sanitation
• South Asia

Acknowledgements

This research is part of a larger IDRC funded study titled “Adapting to Climate Change in Urbanizing Watersheds (ACCUWa) in India” (www.atree.org/accuwa). I am thankful to Priya Sangmeshwaran for her valuable insights at various stages of the draft, Devasenadhipathi and Dhavamani R. for providing insights and support during the field research, Vivek and Thaya Prasath for facilitating the interviews with participants and undertaking data management. I am thankful to all the participants in the study. The usual disclaimers apply.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Coimbatore receives 87 and 65 million litres of water per day from Siruvani and Pilloor rivers, respectively. While there is no estimate of the total volume of groundwater supplied, there are 436 borewells/open wells in the city.

2 The lineman informs households in a slum that the water supply is going to commence by using a whistle as he cycles/walks on the main lane.

3 This does not include the burden of water treatment.

4 It is estimated that a 100–200 litre drum costs 400–900 rupees. Underground storage structures (plastic tanks/cemented tanks) can have a starting cost of 3,500 rupees, not including labour charges.

Additional information

Funding

This research is a part of a larger research project titled ‘Adapting to Climate Change in Urbanizing Watersheds (ACCUWa) in India’. Financial support for this research comes from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada (Grant No. 107086-001).

Notes on contributors

Durba Biswas

Durba Biswas is a Fellow with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, India. She is currently engaged in examining and exploring the gendered aspects of water and sanitation in India. Her research interests lie in understanding gendered impacts of water and sanitation at household, community and local government agency level. She is also interested in critically looking at WASH development in peri-urban locations. She has worked with slum and village communities around Coimbatore and Bangalore in Southern India.