Legal Water Connections Reduce Costs, But Supply Issues Persist in Mumbai’s Slums: Report

At the University of Mumbai, a report called "Water for All" was released on April 2. That report evaluated the effects of residents of Mumbai's informal settlements' access to a legal drinking water connection. Research Assistant Sanjay Patil and PhD Scholars Ankita Bhatkhande and Ravindra Swami from the University of Mumbai's Department of Civics and Politics wrote the report, which was facilitated by Pani Haq Samiti (PHS).

The results of this study demonstrate the significant influence that legal water connections have had on the lives, means of subsistence, and general well-being of residents in a number of Mumbai's informal settlements. It may be recalled that former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray officially introduced the BMC's "Water for All" program, which sought to supply water to slums, unapproved non-slum settlements, Gaothans, and Koliwadas.  According to civic data, 15,375 permissions have been granted thus far.

According to the report, residents of many of these settlements still encounter difficulties on a number of fronts, even now, even after gaining access to a legitimate water connection.  After receiving a connection, residents in several localities, including Ambojwadi and Malad, have complained about inconsistent water supply schedules and low water pressure.  The majority of female respondents said that they were primarily responsible for getting water and using it for cooking and cleaning because of prevalent gender norms. A total of 202 respondents were polled across the chosen locations that have acquired a legal water connection.

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Half of the respondents stated that they paid between Rs 300 and Rs 800 per month for water before obtaining a legal water connection, while 33.7% indicated they spent between Rs 800 and Rs 1500 per month. "This policy benefits the BMC because many informal settlements were already illegally accessing BMC's supply," said co-author Sanjay Patil.  Its implementation would aid in the eradication of the unofficial water economy.

Approximately 6% of those surveyed claimed to spend more than Rs. 2,000 per month on water.  Respondents with more children or those from larger families were primarily affected by this.  The work of filling water is mostly performed by women in 48% of families and by young girls in 5% of households. A lot of ladies and young girls talked about how difficult it was to get and fill up water before they had a legal water connection.