Description
The paper argues that inequitable water access as part of the wider institutional failures played a crucial role during the mass migrant exodus during the first ‘wave’ of the Covid-19 virus in India. In hindsight the institutional failures which triggered this large-scale reverse migration, are clear. The paper argues that inequitable water access indicated the larger lack of institutions which influence urban governance and welfare. Even before the pandemic, crucial data such as the nature of employment and work conditions which is to be managed by governing authorities itself was missing. Inequitable water access deprived the poor from practicing essential hygiene – such as the mandate of washing hands for twenty seconds. Universal water access itself is limited to household access and is therefore out of reach for migrant populations. Furthermore, unsafe and unsanitary living conditions during the national lockdown left many migrants stranded who had no choice but to walk back home to their villages on foot. The paper reiterates the importance of entrenching welfare within the larger accountability of various actors and organizations. Such measures are hoped to go a long way in making our cities as spaces of dignity and rights.
