BITS F112 - TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

A STUDY OF WATER SCARCITY

IN SLUMS

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 A REPORT ON
WATER SCARCITY IN SLUMS
Prepared for

Prof. Solano da Silva

Prepared by:

Pulkit Chauhan 2019A7PS0500G

Yash Jangir 2019A8PS0520G

Prince Panja 2019A8PS0503G

Kshitij Shete 2019A1PS0522G

Yash Gondhalekar 2019A7PS0481G

BITS F112: TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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We would like to thank Prof. Solano da Silva for his invaluable guidance regarding the inception
and preparation of this report.

We would also like to thank the Instructor-in-Charge Geetha Bakilapadavu, for giving us the
opportunity to work on this report which widened our perspectives about the subject.

We would also like to thank the sincere people of Zari who volunteered to become part of our
study.

Lastly, we express our gratitude to all our fellow group members without whose involvement the
completion of this report would not have been possible.

INDEX
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 1. Abstract……………………………………………………. 6
2. Introduction……………………………………………... 7
3. Literature Review

3.1 Water Scarcity: A Global Crisis………………… 9

3.2 Scenario in India.………………………………….... 12

3.3 Crisis in Slums………………………………………… 15

3.4 Situation in Indian Slums………………………… 17

(I) Slums of Mumbai……………………………….... 17

(II) Slums of Delhi……………………………………… 20

3.5 Analysis of Situation in Goa……………………. 24

4. Methodology…………………………………………….
5. Findings and Analysis……………………………….
6. Results and Conclusion…………………………….
7. Appendix………………………………………………….
8. Bibliography……………………………………………...

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

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Fig. 3 Global Water Stress Patterns

Fig. 4 Physical And Economic Water Scarcity

Fig. 5 Global Water Facts

Fig. 6 Rainfall Patterns (India)

Fig. 7 Per Capita Water Availability in India (Source: WRIS)

Fig. 8 Slums of India

Fig. 9 Drinking Water in Slums

Fig. 10 Pipeline Breakage in Panjim

Fig. 11 Sources of Drinking Water

1. ABSTRACT
Water Scarcity is a growing concern, affecting life on every level we know. This report aims to
analyse water scarcity and how it affects slums, particularly in the state of Goa. It focuses on the
problem of water shortage and how it exists as we move to different scales. We start by analyzing
water scarcity and studying methods which can be used to record it, the report then focuses on
how it affects the world on a global scale before moving to the case of India. As we study it
effects on regions most affected by it, the slums, we take specific examples in the form of slums

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of Mumbai and Delhi. Eventually, we move to the condition in the state of Goa. This section is
primarily dependent on data collected through primary research - personal interviews of various
families living in the locality of Zari, a slum consisting of Goan residents as well immigrants of
Maharashtra and Karnataka.

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INTRODUCTION
Water is one of the most basic resources necessary to sustain life. While we take it for granted,
many people have to struggle daily in order to obtain meagre amounts of it. Simply put, water
scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the necessary water demand. It affects every
continent around the globe and was listed by the World Economic Forum as one of the largest
global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade in 2019. Around two-thirds of the
world’s population (approx. 4 billion people) live under conditions of severe water scarcity for at
least 1 month of the year.

The unrelenting rise in demand for water to grow crops, supply industries and sustain rural and
urban populations has led to this growing scarcity all over the world. Over the last two decades, a
number of metrics have been developed to help map, characterize and track the geography of
water scarcity globally. These methods include, the ratio of the size of population to
renewable water supply and the ratio of water withdrawals to its renewable supply.

This has been particularly useful for analysis of water scarcity globally. The assessment of blue
water scarcity at the scale of river basins, it is found that close to 2.7 billion people across the
world are living in basins that experience severe water scarcity for at least 1 month of the year.

While it affects the whole globe, the problem of water scarcity is more prominent in developing
countries, having less efficient technological and economic advancement.

Seeing this, we analyse the case of India, a country accounting for 16% of the world’s population
but only 4% of the world’s water resources.

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The crisis in India is mostly man-made - due to excess population growth and mismanagement of
present resources. WRIS estimates that India will be close to ‘water stressed’,i.e. water levels
below 1000 cubic metres per capita, by the year 2050, which is an alarming concern.

Although the people living in posh urban areas may not realise it, the condition of the slums
makes it more than apparent. We see this by analysing the situation in slums of Delhi and
Mumbai in contrast to the city.

Eventually, we move to the case of Goa. The state of Goa is unlike other regions, having
abundant rainfall and coastal climate. Although this would lead one to assume the state wouldn’t
face the problem of water shortage. This isn’t entirely true. Although the state has enough water
to sustain the whole population, improper allocation and poor infrastructure has led to regions,
particularly the slums, having a shortage of water for several months of the year. This section
also consists of data collected through primary research - personal interviews of families in the
locality of Zari, a slum consisting of Goan residents as well as immigrants from Maharashtra and
Karnataka.

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3.LITERATURE REVIEW:

3.1 WATER SCARCITY: A GLOBAL CRISIS

Water touches every basic aspect of life and its unavailability is reaching crisis levels. Simply
put, Water scarcity is defined as the lack of fresh water resources to meet water demand. It affects
every continent around the globe and was listed in 2019 by the World Economic Forum as one of
the largest global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade in 2019.A mere 0.014%
of all water on Earth is both fresh and easily accessible. Of the remaining water, 97% is saline
and a little less than 3% is hard to access. Although technically there is a sufficient amount of
water on a global scale, its unequal distribution, resulting in some very dry and wet regions, is
causing water crisis on a global scale.

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 Fig. 3.1.1 Global Water Stress Patterns

Source: WRI Aqueduct 2014; FAQ AQUASTAT;

Over the last two decades, a number of standards of measurement have been developed to help
characterize, map and track the geography of water scarcity globally. These have included, for
example, the ratio of the size of the population to the renewable water supply and the ratio of
water withdrawals to the renewable supply [4]–[7]. These water scarcity indicators have
highlighted the mismatch between water availability and water demand, and have helped
document the spread of water scarcity over time. Today, water scarcity assessments underpin
global assessments of food [7], poverty and human development [8], economic and business
prospects [9], and ecological health

Fig. 3.1.2 Physical and Economic Water Scarcity

There are mainly two types of water scarcity - Physical Water Scarcity and Economic Water
Scarcity. Physical Water Scarcity occurs when there is not enough water to meet all demands. It

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mainly affects arid regions but new trends show artificially created physical water scarcity due to
over allocation and overdevelopment of water resources.
Economic Water Scarcity, on the other hand, is caused by a lack of human capacity to satisfy the
demand for water, even in places where water is abundant. Its main symptom is inadequate
infrastructure development.1

According to the work of Mekonnen and Hoekstra, the global assessment of blue water scarcity
at the scale of river basins while accounting for environmental flow requirements, it is found that
at least 2.7 billion people across the world are living in basins that experience severe water
scarcity during at least one month of the year. This provides an insight not received from annual
water scarcity studies, showing that scarcity occurs only during certain parts of the year. In the
Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, WHO(World Health Organization) defines domestic
water as water being used for all usual domestic purposes including consumption, bathing and
food preparation (WHO, 1993;2002), while the Rural Development Agency, people living in
rural regions need about 40 liters of water per capita per day while those living in urban areas
require about 125 liters. While these problems are not so apparent in our normal lives, a look

1 Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations ,Resources ,Water Scarcity.

Source : http://www.fao.org/resources/infographics/infographics-details/en/c/218939/

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atthe less developed regions makes it clear. (Arjen Y. Hoekstra, February 29, 2012)

Fig. 3.1.3 Global Water Facts (Source FAO 2016)

3.2 SCENARIO IN INDIA

India accounts for about 2.45 percent of world’s surface area, 4 percent of the world’s water
resources and about 16 percent of the world's population. Water Scarcity in India is due to both
natural and man-made causes. (NCERT, 2009)

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 Fig. 3.2.1 Rainfall Patterns (India)

Source: Indian Climate Sciences Department

The precipitation pattern in India varies dramatically across distance and over the months of the
calendar. Most of the precipitation in India, about 85%, is received during the summer months
through monsoons in the Himalayan catchments of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin. The
north eastern region of the country receives heavy precipitation, much more than the north
western, western and the southern parts. The uncertainty in the onset of annual monsoon, marked
by prolonged dry spells and fluctuations in seasonal and annual rainfall is a serious problem for
the country. Large area of the country is not put to use for agriculture due to poor water quality or
local water scarcity. The nation sees cycles of drought and flood years, with large parts of west
and south experiencing more and more deficits and large variations, resulting in immense
hardship particularly to the poorest farmers and rural populations.

According to the WRIS, a population becomes “water stressed” when water levels fall below
1700 cubic meters capita, and “water scarce” when water levels fall below 1000 cubic meters per

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capita. Based on recent patterns it is forecast that India could be close to water scarce by the year
2050. (WRIS INDIA) 2

Fig. 3.2.2 Per Capita Water Availability in India (Source: WRIS)

Water crisis in India is mostly man-made , i.e. exponential population growth and exploitation of
water resources available. Some of the major reasons for water scarcity are: Inefficient use of
water for agriculture. India is one of the countries known for its high agricultural produce around
the world which results in high water consumption. Besides this, factors like formation of
concrete roads and buildings have contributed to the problem as they don’t allow efficient
replenishment of ground water resources.

2 Source: WRIS INDIA http://indiawris.gov.in/wris/#/

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Improper drainage of sewage into traditional water bodies and release of chemicals and effluents
by manufacturing and other industries into rivers, streams and ponds.

Lack of efficient water management and distribution of

water between urban consumers, the agriculture sector
and industry.

The problem has been made worse due to urban

development that has strangled ground water resources.
Water is neither being recharged nor stored in ways that
optimizes its use while retaining the natural ingredients of
water. In addition, the entry of sewage and industrial
waste into water bodies is severely shrinking the
availability of potable water.

The collection of these causes leads to a water crisis in

India, a problem which affects the whole country, while the poverty and technological
disadvantages make it much more apparent in the not so developed regions, such as the slums.

3.3 THE CRISIS IN SLUMS

The economic and geographical disadvantages compound the problem of water scarcity.
Different slums around the world show this on extreme scales. According to UN-Habitat, around
33 percent of the urban population in the developing world in 2012, about 863 million people,
lived in slums. The proportion of urban population living in slums in 2012 was highest in Sub-
Saharan Africa (62%), followed by Southern Asia (35%), Southeastern Asia (31%), Eastern Asia
(28%), Western Asia (25%), Oceania (24%), Latin America and the Caribbean (24%).127 Among
individual countries, the proportion of urban

Fig. 3.3.1 Slums of India

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residents living in slum areas in 2009 was highest in the Central African Republic (95.9%).
Between 1990 and 2010, the percentage of people living in slums dropped, even as the total
urban population increased. (UNHABITAT, 2013)

The condition in these slums is something that can’t be comprehended by words. The day to day
life is dependent on the day to day work people do living in a turmoil of malnutrition, improper
sanitation topped with water scarcity.

Water is one of the most essential aspects of survival, and in place with no infrastructure and
little government help, this problem can be seen at its worst. Spending a day in these areas
exposes one to these conditions as people walk blocks, stand in queues and pay a bigger price
than what people in more developed regions, and still live in uncertainty of whether they will get
this basic necessity we take for granted - clean water.

3.4 Situation in Slums

(I) SLUMS OF MUMBAI

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Introduction: Around 863 million people globally live in urban slums. Inadequate access to water
is one characteristic that helps to define a “slum”, based on the United Nations (UN) definition 3.
Water is a scarce commodity, getting scarcer each year. The problem is not just the quantity of
water available but the basis on which distribution networks are worked out. In most cities in the
Third World, distribution networks have been grossly over stripped by the growth in numbers.
Neither the quantity of water available, nor the way in which it is supplied, is adequate for the
residents of these cities. Water scarcity is a reality in many cities and demand has outstripped
supply to such an extent that existing plans have become hopelessly inadequate.4

The people who bear the brunt of this, however, are the poor . Living in overcrowded shanty
towns, they are not supplied an assured supply of water. They end up having to either buy water
or steal it. Most of the slums in Mumbai are located in the central and the north eastern parts of
Mumbai. Local authorities need to devise systems of water supply and distribution that
accommodate the needs of the increasing number of urban poor in every city in the developing
world.

Analysis

The area of research about water scarcity is on Kaula Bandar (KB), a slum in Mumbai. KB is a
community of about 12,000 people located on a dock on Mumbai’s eastern waterfront. KB is
located on land owned by the government and hence is public. As KB is “non-notified”, or not
recognized by the city, state, or central governments, the community is denied legal access to
most public services including the city water supply.

3 UN-HABITAT. Towards an operational definition for measuring slums. Nairobi: United Nations Human
Settlements Programmed; 2002.

4 Multidimensional Measurement of Household Water Poverty in a Mumbai Slum

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4511227/

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 Fig. Kaula Bandar Slum, Mumbai

There are two main modes of water access in KB. Both rely on unnoticed procurement of water
from the city supply, because residents do not have legal access. About two-thirds of households
purchase water through an informal distribution system run by private vendors, most of whom
are KB residents. These vendors tap into underground city water pipes and use motorized pumps
to funnel water into hoses that travel hundreds of meters to reach slum lanes 5. Residents pay
monthly fees to access water from these hoses. Due to the irregular nature of water flow, water is
available for two hours a day at most, so residents line up in lanes at water delivery times to
access a hose. One-third of households do not obtain water through the informal distribution
system 6. Instead, they roll containers long distances (often more than a kilometer) to purchase
water from taps located in other slums. They pay the tap’s “owners” (usually occupants of a
nearby household) per container filled. Kuala Bandar residents pay as much as 200 times the
price paid for water by wealthier city residents. The main aspects of life adversely impacted by
deficiencies in water service delivery are household economy, employment, education, quality of

5 Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Source: https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/93/11/15-155473/en/

6 Waiting for water. The experience of poor communities in Bombay

Source: http://www.hic-gs.org/document.php?pid=2400

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life, social relationships, community cohesion, social and political inclusion, and health.
Moreover, slums such as Kaula Bandar may continue to be excluded from the water supply
because the Bombay High Court does not have jurisdiction over central government land, where
some non-notified slums are located.7

Fig. Water Cisterns outside slum dwellings with locks on them

Children are late for, or miss, school due to water collection duties and also compromise time
available for their homework. Hose water recipients lose sleep due to unpredictable nature of
water flows, which sometimes arrive in the middle of the night. Water fetchers get into conflicts
with neighbors when rolling water drums through shared lanes which endangers social
relationships.

Conclusion: The relevance of multidimensional assessment of water service delivery in slums is

there. Both groups in KB having different modes of water access suffer from “water poverty”
resulting in negative impacts on various aspects of life. This study of a Mumbai Slum highlights
the importance of assessing multiple water service indicators and identifies adverse impacts
resulting from deficiencies in service delivery. Human rights-based frameworks that emphasize a

7 Measurement of Household Water Poverty in a Mumbai Slum, source:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133241

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universal right to water may play a valuable role in overcoming barriers for access to water and
thereby help to promote health for marginalized urban populations. This is an important lesson as
the global community endorses the goal of achieving universal and equitable access to water for
all.

(II) Slums of Delhi

Introduction: Water is a basic necessity, which has no other alternative. Provision of safe and
adequate water is a right of every living being. However, in recent years there has been a
looming water scarcity in India. The scarcity has been felt in many societies and there are
different ways of coping with it. Water scarcity is a situation where the supply of available water
has decreased while at the same time the demand has increased. Water scarcity is a problem that
is faced by the growing population of India because the demand of water by the growing
population is not being met.8 Analysis: The area of research about water scarcity is on Gomti
Nagar, in south Delhi, Lucknow District. The dwellers face acute shortage of water on a daily
basis to even meet the daily household needs like cooking, drinking, bathing, and washing.

The residents of the slum rely on the municipality water supply however, the distribution of
water in the slum is not systematic; the residents have to fill their quota of water on a first come
first serve basis from a tap that is allotted to their building. Some buildings have 32 rooms while
others have 36 or 28, and each room has 3 to 4 persons residing in it. So, all of them have to fill
water from that one tap allotted to their building. 9 Water is available from 4 – 4:30 to 8 – 8:30 in

8 How People Are Resolving to Reduce Water Scarcity,

Source: https://www.waterlogicaustralia.com.au/blog/reduce-water-scarcity/

9 Water Crisis Stares at Gomtinagar,

Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Water-crisis-stares-at-Indiranagar-

Gomtinagar/articleshow/47168307.cms

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the morning, so all the households have approximately half an hour to fill water and keep until
the next day water supply was made available to them. In the metropolitan cities like Delhi,
water is not gathered from sources like rivers, tube wells, wells but from workplace or
government parks. People also have to wake up early in the morning to make queue with their
dubba as to fill water. There are daily fights and quarrels among the people while making queue.
If one failed to fill water for some reason, they had to do without water till the next day unless
they resorted to an alternative resource. When there is no water supply, they mostly get water
from places like Vatika Kunj, which is a government park; they get 2 – 3 dubbas from the water
which came for the watering of the plants.

Also, some fetch water from workplaces. Water that is required by each household is never fully
sufficient, so water management becomes very important. Water is stored in whatever it can be
stored in from buckets to drums, cold drink bottles, paint drums etc. These containers are kept
everywhere in their small rooms. Due to the shortage of water, they have to be very careful in
using this scarce resource. Clothes are not washed on a daily basis, minimum water must be used
for cooking and cleaning the utensils and as drinking is the most important use of water, extra
bottles are kept solely for drinking purpose. Water which is reserved for drinking purpose is not
used for anything else. However, to save water sometimes they compromise on their hygiene.

River Gomti is the main source for drinking water in the city of Lucknow, but now 70% of
municipal water supplies are dependent on ground water, making it a predominant source for
city's water supplies. This shows that ground water has a vital role in the urban water system,
despite the fact that this resource is depleting fast. The Gomti River shrinks during May and June
when summer is at its peak. The Sharda Canal is the main source of water for the Gomti river
and hence to Gomti Nagar. Irrigation department closes Sharda Canal twice a year for cleaning
purpose. This often produces supply problems in the waterworks. The water supply is closed for
about 25 days normally but is often extended to 30 days creating much pressure on the people
residing in the area. Sometimes, they withdraw water from the alternate reservoir Bharwara Jheel
(built in the vicinity) to meet the demand. This alternate reservoir was made to supply water
during emergencies when there is shortage in the city and is being run currently on a trial basis.
Against the requirement of 80 million liters daily, the supply is only 50 million liters daily in

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Gomti Nagar. In the metropolitan cities like Delhi, water is not gathered from sources like rivers,
tube wells, wells but from workplace or government parks. 10

Fig. The Sharda Canal

Conclusion: Water is one of the main issues in slums because even if the slums residents rely on
municipality water, the supply of water is very erratic especially in the summer months which
cause unimaginable problems to the residents. Water scarcity and the ways of coping with are
different from people that can afford to buy water. With their minimal income to support their
families even at times of acute water scarcity, the slum dwellers find ways of getting water from
water sources without paying for it. Water shortage is a daily issue and every time they cannot
afford to pay for it.

3.5 ANALYSIS OF SITUATION IN GOA

If one didn’t take a deeper look at the state of Goa, one could easily assume that Goa, with its
abundant rainfall and proximity to the ocean, didn’t suffer from the systematic problem of water
scarcity.

10 Irrigation And Water Resources Department, Gomti River

Source: http://idup.gov.in/pages/en/gomti-river-topmenu/en-gr-issues-and-solutions

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 Fig. 3.5.1 Pipeline Breakage in Panjim11

But contrary to intuition, Goa, particularly slums spread over the state, suffer from water
scarcity. According to the most recent census, 41.9% of the people living in Goan slums get
water supply for less than an hour a day, while 2.4%, approximating to about 3500 people get no
water supply. While this problem is mostly due to the irregular water supply by the state, it is
compounded by the poor infrastructure, with there being many cases of leaks and breaks in
pipelines and among 2517 households, about 700 having no taps within their premises. While
most apparent in the slums, this scarcity also affects about 35 villages across the state, with the
main causes being illegal mining, deforestation and real estate development, diverting the water
supply from areas in need, while also putting existing water resources in danger, increasing the
chances for scarcity in future.12

11 Panjim Water Crisis,Goan

Source: https://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Panjim-water-crisis-%E2%80%93-a-LESSON-for-
GOA/150444
12 Go Goa Gone, Water Crisis, Goass
Source: http://www.catchnews.com/india-news/go-goa-gone-once-water-abundant-state-hit-by-
acute-scarcity-1462293380.html

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But to analyse the problems like water shortage, we first need to take a look at the sources of
water in Goan slums.

Recent surveys indicate

that majority of the 1879
households (75.25%)
have taps within their
premises, while a total of
456 households (18.26%) use
public taps outside their
premises and 69
households (2.76%) use
open wells. 15
households (0.6%)
depend on tube well /
hand pump for their
drinking water and only 2
Fig. 3.5.2 Sources of Drinking water (AIILSG, 2015)

household (0.08%) reported using bore-well. (AIILSG, 2015)

Traditionally, Goa has never faced the problem of physical water scarcity with annual rainfall of
around 120 inches and 11 perennial (flow throughout the year) rivers. But recent developments
have changed this.

Large scale mining and unchecked spread of deforestation has not only damaged Goa’s
ecosystem but also made many parts of the state dependent on water tankers for their daily
supply of clean drinking water. Around 35 villages in Goa are now dependent on about 350 water
tankers for their daily supply of water.

Besides this, the poor infrastructure of the water supply system has further compounded this
problem. There have been numerous instances of breakage of water pipelines around the state.

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Many of these pipelines are more than 10 years old, showing the government’s ignorance
towards the water supply system

4.METHODOLOGY
This Methodology section describes the procedure that we followed to collect quantitative and
qualitative data from our study site and also to analyze both the types of data to meet the
objectives of our report.

Study Site

Zari is a locality in the town Sancoale in the South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. The
residents majorly include local Goans, but the locality also consists of immigrants from
Maharashtra and Karnataka. The people here speak Hindi, Marathi and Tamil. Residents own

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shops in the locality itself, while some find employment in factories in the vicinity of the slum,
people here also work at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus, a higher educational institution near the
slum. Almost all the residents have a personal water tap in their homes, some have their water
taps just outside their doors.

Interviews

In our research, we have chosen to conduct interviews instead of questionnaires or surveys

because interviews allowed us to collect verbal as well as non-verbal data, i.e. the expressions on
the faces of the residents as they shared their problems with us. This allowed us to better
understand just how severe the problems are for the residents so as to depict it accurately in our
report. This could not have been achieved in any way if we had opted to conduct a survey.

For our research, we conducted 10 individual interviews of the residents of Zari, from which
qualitative and quantitative data was collected focusing majorly on the causes of water scarcity in
the said slum and the adverse effects it has on the day to day life of the residents. We conducted
this research by visiting Zari. We read a scripted consent form describing the purpose of our
study, emphasizing that the participant could choose to discontinue at any time. The participant
was given time to ask questions about the study. We conducted the interview if and only if he or
she agreed to participate with full consent.

Quantitative Data Collection

For collecting quantitative data, we asked the participants a set of 10 questions each and
numerical answers were recorded. This process took about 10-15 minutes for each participant.
The questions mainly pertained to the quantity of water received by the residents, the number of
ways they receive water, the cost of water and the frequency with which they receive the same.

Quantitative Data Analysis

We analyzed this data, calculating medians of different numerical variables and compared the
same variables pertaining to slums of Mumbai and Delhi which were obtained from secondary
research. This comparison is shown in the form of a table. Median was preferred over mean

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because in the case of some particularly high values of the said variable median is affected less as
compared to mean and so it gives a more accurate measure of central tendency as compared to
mean.

Qualitative Data Collection

For the qualitative data collection of our report, we asked the participants a set of 7 subjective
questions. They were asked to answer the questions in brief. This process took about 20-25 for
each participant. These included questions ranging from the factors they think cause water
shortage in their locality to the adverse effects that the same has on their day to day lives on a
family as well as personal level. The residents do not speak English, so we recorded the answers
in Hindi or Marathi.

Qualitative Data Analysis

We first translated the obtained data from the language that it was recorded into English. We then
represented this data in the form of a table. This table consists of quotations said by the residents
themselves but translated from the language in which they were recorded into English.

5.Findings and Analysis

Findings: Approximately 70% of the residents of Zari face problems carrying out their day to
day tasks due to water shortage. We were able to obtain the following information from our study
of the water scarcity problem in Zari through personal interviews with the residents.

Quantitative Data: Findings: The residents of Zari that we interviewed all had 1 tap either
inside their house or just outside their doors. However, there is a non-uniform distribution of
water in the slum, some residents have 24 hours of water supply while others only receive water
for 1-1.5 hours a day. This too is not uniform as at the time of interviewing the participants the

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water supply in some households of the slum had stopped 10 days prior to the interview. When
this happens, the residents have to fetch water from the nearby temple which has a small tap near
it. This tap is 1.5 to 2km far from some households. The type based on family members ranges
from nuclear 3 member families to joint families consisting of 15 members. The residents store
water majorly in 20L drums and 3-4L buckets, however not everyone has these drums, out of the
10 households we visited, 3 only had 2 buckets each. These are shown in the figures. The
residents have a median salary of 7000 Rupees and have a median spending of 500 Rupees on
water resources, so the residents spend 7.14% of their earnings on water resources according to
median data. This information is represented in the following table which is followed by the
calculation of the median data.
Subject No. MONTHLY INCOME (in MONEY SPENT ON
Rupees) WATER(MONTHLY)

1 6000 400

2 7000 500

3 7000 750

4 5500 500

5 12000 450

6 8000 600

7 15000 300

8 12000 600

9 8000 550

10 6500 400

CALCULATIONS:

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MEDIAN: Denoting or relating to a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of a frequency
distribution of observed values or quantities, such that there is an equal probability of falling
above or below it.
FORMULA TO CALCULATE MEDIAN:
If number of values,
Is even = n / 2 and (n+2) / 2
Is odd = (n+1) / 2
MEDIAN SALARY:
Number of values = 10
Median salary = 7000 Rupees.
(when values are arranged in ascending or descending order)
Median money spent on water = 500 Rupees.
People are spending 7.14% of their monthly income on monthly water supplies.
Qualitative Data: Findings

The residents described the problems that they face in their day to day lives. The tap water
sometimes comes between 1 am to 6 am disturbing the sleep of the residents. Due to this, people
are sometimes late to their jobs resulting in them being registered as late at their workplace, and
thus receiving half payment for the day. The residents sometimes do not have water supply
during festivals so they have problems entertaining guests at their house. Also during the months
of February to April, the water supply stops for 7 to 10 days at one time. Also, Zari slum is
located on land which has an inclined slope, so the residents that live high on the slope do not
receive water as the motor that supplies water to them is not powerful enough, so such residents
use illegal small personal motors to pull the water upwards. The following table represents some
quotations which we recorded from the residents.

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 ADVERSE LIFE IMPACT WATER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DELIVERY FAILURES QUOTATIONS
CAUSING THE ADVERSE
LIFE IMPACT
1. Household economy
Price “I earn 5500 Rs in one month,
500 goes to buy water, and how
am I supposed to pay for my
children’s school fees?”

-a 27-year local man,

2. Physical Labour
access “Water supply has stopped
since the last 10 days, I have to
walk 2km to the temple
multiple times to fill my drums
every day.”

-a 36-year-old woman from

Maharashtra.
3. Disrupted sleep cycles
reliability “Last night, water started to
flow from the tap at 2.30 am
while we were sleeping. My
husband and I had to get up
from bed to fill water in the
middle of the night.”

-a 23-year-old local woman

4. During Festivals
reliability “This Diwali, my sister wanted
to visit me with her family and
stay for a couple of days, I had
to refuse her as I did not have

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 ADVERSE LIFE IMPACT WATER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DELIVERY FAILURES QUOTATIONS
CAUSING THE ADVERSE
LIFE IMPACT

water stored to feed all the

members.”

-a 40-year-old local woman

5. Social relationships
Access, distribution “Sometime ago, we had a big
quarrel with a family which
lives up the hill, because they
use a motor to pull water
upwards which should ideally
come to us.”

From the collected data, it is clear that the resident's sleep gets disturbed resulting in them not
going to work on time which in turn reduces their earnings. Due to less water supply during
festivals, residents can not entertain guests so their social relationships are getting affected. The
residents who live uphill pull water from the residents who live down the slope, this results in
frequent fights affecting the social relations of the residents of the two groups. The authorities
who supply water to the slum have not taken into consideration the factor of difference in the
height of land.

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 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
● Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Mesfin M. Mekonnen, Ashok K. Chapagain, ,Ruth E. Mathews, Brian
D. Richter [ February 29,2012] “Global Monthly Water Scarcity: Blue Water Footprints
versus Blue Water Availability”
Available online: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?
id=10.1371/journal.pone.0032688
● Regional Center for Urban and Environmental Studies , AIISG, Mumbai [July ,2015]
“Report of Household & Socio-economic survey Under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) For
PANAJI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION “
Available Online : http://imaginepanaji.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/RAY-Report-Panaji.pdf

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 ● Dr. Y. Durga Prasad and Shri Anil Kumar, GOVERNMENT OF GOA [July-
December,2002], “ CONDITIONS OF SLUMS IN GOA “
Available Online : https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10973/33899/GIPE-
268582.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
● Ashwin Aghor, [10 February 2017],” Go Goa Gone: Once water-abundant, state hit by
acute scarcity “
Available online: http://www.catchnews.com/india-news/go-goa-gone-once-water-abundant-
state-hit-by-acute-scarcity-1462293380.html
● TEAM HERALD, [25 AUG 2019] “Panjim water crisis – a LESSON for GOA?”
Available online: https://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Panjim-water-crisis-%E2%80%93-a-
LESSON-for-GOA/150444
● FAO, [June 01,2009],” Understanding water scarcity”, Available
online:http://www.fao.org/resources/infographics/infographics-details/en/c/218939/,

● NCERT Concise Geography, [ n.d.,2016] , India: people and Economy ,Page 60 Available
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● Fred Boltz ,[ March 23, 2017] , “How do we prevent today's water crisis becoming
tomorrow's catastrophe?”

Available online : https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/building-freshwater-

resilience-to-anticipate-and-address-water-crises/

● Irrigation and Water Resources Department Gomti River, “Issues And Solutions”, [N.D.]
Available Online: http://idup.gov.in/pages/en/gomti-river-topmenu/en-gr-issues-and-
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● Kimm Bellaware [February 16, 2016] “ Global Water Shortage Risk Is Worse Than
Scientists Thought” Available online : https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/water-
scarcity-study_n_56c1ebc5e4b0b40245c72f5e?ri18n=true

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● TNN,[may 6, 2015] , “Water crisis stares at Gomtinagar” Available Online:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Water-crisis-stares-at-Indiranagar-
Gomtinagar/articleshow/47168307.cms
● Sidrah Ahmad ,[ November 13 ,2017] “How People Are Resolving to Reduce Water
Scarcity”, Available online : https://www.waterlogicaustralia.com.au/blog/reduce-water-
scarcity/

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