Urbanisation and periurban water security: the case of Gurugram
Student name: Mr Aditya Kumar Singh
Guide: Dr Gopal K Sarangi
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: SaciWATERs
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Vishal Narain
Abstract: This report uses the concept of hydraulic property to understand the governance
mechanisms shaping the access to and use of wastewater in periurban
Gurugram, India. Without access to assured sources of irrigation and in the face
of declining rainfall, farmers use wastewater as an irrigation source of last
resort. In order to deal with the uncertainty in the access to this resource and to
transport it closer to their fields from the wastewater runnel, farmers contributed
collectively to dig a furrow. The contributions were in proportion to the size of
the land-holdings. However, on account of the perceived 'waste' nature of this
resource, the investments did not necessarily translate into proportionate claims
to withdraw the wastewater; non-contributors were allowed to use the resource
as well. The report makes a case for stronger attention in research, policy-
making and capacity development to non-statutory forms of resource access and
allocation that are vital in understanding water governance, especially in
contexts where statutory institutions may be weak or apathetic.
Keywords: Urbanisation; Periurban, Hydraulic property; Water Governance,
Gurugram
