By Dr Firdaus Samad
India’s urban landscape presents a stark paradox in water accessibility. The World Health Organization prescribes 50-100 litres of water per person daily as a basic human necessity, and Indian urban standards mandate 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD). However, the reality across urban slums of India tells a drastically different story. In these densely populated corners of cities, families struggle with as little as 5-10 litres per person per day. That’s insufficient to meet their most basic needs. This glaring disparity isn’t just about the amount of clean water required– it involves countless hours spent in water collection, compromised health and hygiene, and lost opportunities for daily earning. In the case of children, who often spend hours in queues to collect water, it means a loss of time that could be spent on education. The water crisis in the urban slums of India has reached a critical point where nearly three-quarters of slum households survive on less than 100 LPCD, with many managing with far less. Even more alarming is that only half of these households have direct water access, forcing the rest to depend on unreliable and often unsafe public sources. This isn’t merely an infrastructure challenge; it’s a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the heart of cities, one that demands immediate attention and action.
While the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5, 2019-20) data indicates that 93.6% of urban Meghalaya households have access to improved drinking water sources, these statistics mask a complex reality. An improved drinking water source encompasses facilities that protect against external contamination, including piped water connections, public taps, protected wells, boreholes, and rainwater collection systems. However, mere classification as “improved” doesn’t guarantee consistent water accessibility or adequacy. In Shillong’s slums, the harsh reality persists where families subsist on merely 40-50 litres of water daily, far below basic requirements. This severe shortage makes achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring water and sanitation for all – seem increasingly unattainable. The crisis deepens as climate change accelerates, further straining already limited water resources. The implications of this water scarcity are profound and far-reaching. When households lack sufficient water for basic hygiene practices like daily bathing and essential cleaning, it creates a dangerous cycle of health vulnerabilities. The inadequate water supply not only compromises personal hygiene but inevitably leads to increased disease burden among slum residents. This situation starkly illustrates how statistical improvements in water source classification don’t necessarily translate to meaningful improvements in daily life and public health.
The water crisis in Shillong’s slums stems from multiple systemic challenges that deeply affect community life. The uncertainty of water access creates a daily struggle where today’s availability offers no assurance for tomorrow. Women bear the heaviest burden with children following closely. These communities face a cruel paradox: despite their limited means, poor families often pay higher prices for water than their middle-class counterparts. The situation is further complicated by the constant threat of water-borne diseases like diarrhea and typhoid, while community conflicts over water access create social tensions. A critical technical challenge lies in Shillong’s Unaccounted For Water (UFW) losses, where over 50% of water disappears through leakages and siphoning before reaching consumers. This wastage is particularly alarming given Meghalaya’s abundant annual rainfall of 63 billion cubic litres, of which only 1 billion cubic litres is retained. According to the American Water Works Association (AWWA), such high losses demand immediate intervention, as anything exceeding 25% is considered problematic.
Access to safe water and basic sanitation stands as a fundamental legal right of every citizen, not a charitable service. The path forward requires implementing inclusive community-managed distribution systems that ensure equal access for both tribal and non-tribal residents. Current supply levels in slum areas must be elevated from below 50 LPCD to meet WHO’s minimum recommendation of 50-100 LPCD. Priority should be given to installing additional public taps, particularly in areas where women currently walk 1-2 kilometres to collect water. A comprehensive solution must include regular water quality monitoring, infrastructure repairs to address the high UFW losses, and systematic leak detection. Furthermore, implementing an equitable water distribution policy that transcends community status is essential to resolve existing social tensions and ensure fair access for all residents.