CENTRE FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL EXCELLENCE

  DEVELOPMENT THEMES

Water supply for urban poor


CURE believes that every poor household must be connected to municipal water supply in the house in an equitable manner. This goal can be incrementally achieved and people moved from current inadequate arrangements (community sources with inadequate duration, quality, quantity, timings, etc.) to paid household water connections. With paid connections, poor will get access to legitimate services and as clients, raise demand for better service quality.


CURE’s work in the water sector includes:


  • Projects to improve access to water supply to slum and low income households

  • Policy Research and Support to policy implementation


  • Design of network supply systems

  • Basic Urban Services for the Poor Reforms

  • Development of Community Based Information Systems – applications for water supply

CURE has implemented various projects in achieving its vision for water supply for the the poor people.


  • In Delhi, under the Prayas-Bhagidari initiative, it has followed a Mission mode approach to improve current supply arrangements by increasing numbers of stand posts within settlements, improving water quality – better pressure, friendly timings, adequate duration and quantity of potable supply. It has set up community oversight systems (Water Committees – Pani Samittis) that are responsible for overseeing water distribution and collection arrangements.

  • Setting up a commercially viable community managed Water kiosk to improve access to safe drinking water and reducing high health costs; a People Public Private Partnership arrangement with TERI, DJB and Toyota Foundation


CURE’s research on water supply issues is aimed at

  • Supporting pro-poor policy dialogue and creating an enabling environment for policy change;

  • Improving service provider understanding on how poor access water; coping strategies and opportunity costs of poor services; willingness, affordability and capacity to pay with recommendations and technical suggestions for networking poor to supply systems.