Water in expanding cities : a case study of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

In Coimbatore, a south Indian city of one million inhabitants, water scarcity is a fact, due to population and industrial growth in combination with a semi arid climate. Excess extraction of ground water as well as pollution have made the ground water unfit to drink in many areas. Rapid urbanization has led to a shortage of new housing, drainage and sanitation facilities and an increase in squatter settlements. Many low income urban dwellers live with environmental degradation, poor access to safe water, unsanitary conditions, uncollected solid waste and insect infestation. Within the city there exist variations in water supply between areas and between income groups. Households in low income communities pay much higher prices for water than higher income groups, as they are forced to turn to the private water market. Also, many of the women in the low income areas bear the burdensome task of collecting water. It is clear that there is a great need for strategies and planning for the future development of Coimbatore.

The Master of Science Thesis, Water in Expanding Cities A Case Study of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, focuses on the present domestic water and sanitation situation at the household level in Coimbatore. The thesis also gives a gender perspective, since women have the primary responsibility for managing household water. A questionnaire survey carried out in Coimbatore in 1994 included 80 household "focused conversation" interviews, as well as interviews with municipal policymakers and implementors. The results indicate where the most pressing concerns lie and reveal a gap between the policies and strategies of the authorities and the wishes and attitudes of the public.

A vast majority of the households surveyed consider the water situation as satisfactory even though the seasonal variation in water supply is obvious and differences between income groups accentuated. A dual system of domestic water supply exists in Coimbatore, potable Siruvani River water and ground water, of which the latter is not considered drinkable due to high salinity. Roughly 40% of the households always use a combination of water sources, 30% regularly collect Siruvani water plus ground water and 10% use two Siruvani sources. In the dry period however, 80% of the households combine different sources in order to cover daily demands. The high income group, with house connections, use on average more than double the amounts of the rest of the families. However, the interviewees expressed no complaints concerning the level of water charges even though the "uniform rate system" was in effect during the time of the survey. The survey results show that 25% of the households have a very bad or a bad situation, mostly caused by poor access and high water payment, 30% have an acceptable situation and 45% a good or very good water situation.

Water collection is a duty of the women in the household who spend 30 minutes to one hour daily in the wet season, but one to three hours in the dry season. The women in the lower income groups spend the most time collecting water, due to the walking distance and a higher number of persons sharing the public tap. Even though much of the day is occupied with water handling, a majority did not raise complaints about it. They seem to accept it because they feel it is unlikely they will be provided with house connections, and they accept the general fact that they are living in a country with water scarcity. The role of women, incorporated in the culture and society, is that women take care of the household, children and water handling, a situation which they seem to accept and find natural and pleasant. The most favoured situation according to both men and women seems to be when the family budget allows the women to stay at home and perform the household duties.

While expressing satisfaction with the current water situation, the survey shows that households do give high priority to the problems of poor drainage and sanitation, characterized by open defecation, piles of nauseating garbage on the streets and in drains, and stagnant wastewater in open drainage ditches, all of which serve as breeding grounds for various insects. People are deeply concerned about being forced to live without toilet facilities and with inferior street and drainage ditch cleaning, and poor refuse collection. Women are most affected by not having access to any toilet facilities as they feel the need for privacy more. The survey shows that households are willing to contribute financial resources as well as their efforts to achieve improvements. The survey has indicated that several of the policies and strategies of the decision makers have not reflected what the inhabitants want or feel is most needed. However, to address these problems effectively the public must be involved and the authorities should recognize and give more support to individuals and community groups trying to solve their own problems.