A study across 15 cities in South Asia, Africa and South America shows that water is inaccessible and unaffordable.
“Not enough is being done to understand the water crisis,” Diana Mitlin, one of the lead authors of the study told Asia Times. “When we look at the data we see that even if there are pipes, there is no water. And if there is water, it is not adequate. Water supply over three hours for just three days in a week is simply not adequate,” she said.
Aditi Mukherji, principal researcher with the International Water Management Institute, also worked separately on the availability of water in South Asia and confirmed Mitlin’s worst fears.
“The urban water crisis in India is no longer the time-bomb that is yet to explode. It is a time-bomb that has exploded with disastrous consequences for the urban poor, and also for the middle class, as we saw in Chennai recently,” she said.