Water for Indian cities: government practices and policy concerns
The demand for basic infrastructure and services in Indian cities has increased phenomenally due to rapidly growing
populations. Such unmet demands often adversely affect the quality of urban life, the economic productivity, as well as the
process of sustainable development. The main purpose of this brief is to highlight the problems involved in improving access to
water supply in Indian cities faced with a severe water shortage crisis. A case study approach is followed, and the status of water
supply service is described for three large cities of India, namely Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The author argues that there exists
an immediate need to build up the water infrastructure and institutions, and points out that the challenge for stakeholders lies in speeding up the reform process and in the replication/ implementation of efficient water governance practices.