Water Scarcity in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Jal Bhagirathi Foundation Kathleen Roberts, Michael Reiner, and Kimberly Gray
Water Scarcity in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Jal Bhagirathi Foundation Kathleen Roberts, Michael Reiner, and Kimberly Gray NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Research in Jaipur in Summer 2013 | Document completed in Fall 2013 Executive Summary Jaipur, the capital and largest city of the state of Rajasthan, India, is currently experiencing severe water scarcity that threatens drinking water sources. While Jaipur receives only an average of 600 millimeters of precipitation per year, mostly in the monsoon months of June-September, we believe that management issues exacerbate Jaipur’s water scarcity issues. Problems such as poor water quality, a lack of adequate infrastructure (for example in sewage systems, water piping, drainage systems, and water metering), rapid population and area growth, and a lack of unified government are just a few of the issues that play important roles in the complex interactions surrounding Jaipur’s current water scarcity condition. Two engineering students from Northwestern University, Kathleen Roberts and Michael Reiner, traveled to Jaipur in the summer of 2013 to study the water and sanitation system. The conditions of Jaipur’s water resources were investigated by touring various critical sites, conducting literature searches regarding water resources in Jaipur at sites such as Rajasthan University and the Institute for Development Studies, and meeting with professionals in the field of water issues in Jaipur. We were assisted in this assessment by our colleagues at the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, an organization based in Jaipur and Jodhpur, which “strives to provide an enabling environment in which communities can access adequate drinking water with a vision of water security leading to sustainable development through responsive governance and inclusive growth.” This document looks at the history of Jaipur, specifically focusing on the links between its history, growth, and its water supply system.
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