Sustainable Urban Water Management: Assessing Policy, Infrastructure and Community Participation in Medium-Sized Indian Cities

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation, climate change, and ageing infrastructure have made water security a pressing challenge for India’s medium-sized cities. National programmes such as AMRUT 2.0, Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban), and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) aim to universalise services and promote circular water use, yet major gaps persist. Although about 70% of urban households have piped water, most cities supply it for only a few hours daily; non-revenue water often exceeds 40%; and barely 30% of sewage is treated. With groundwater meeting nearly half of urban demand, concerns over unsustainable extraction continue to grow. This paper offers a conceptual and empirical analysis of sustainable urban water management (SUWM) in India’s secondary cities and large towns. It synthesises policy frameworks, service-level benchmarks, and case studies grounded in integrated urban water management and water-sensitive city approaches. Evidence from cities such as Aurangabad, Delwara, and Cuttack highlights recurring constraints: fragmented institutions, fiscal and technical capacity deficits, and limited, project-based community engagement. Infrastructure investments still prioritise supply expansion and centralised sewers over demand management, decentralised treatment, and groundwater governance. The paper argues for integrated water-balance planning, reducing non-revenue water, scaling decentralised systems, and institutionalising co-production with communities to achieve resilient urban water systems.