Understanding Per Capita Water Supply Standards in India

The per capita water supply standard in India is a crucial yet arbitrary metric that dictates daily water allocation to individuals, influencing urban planning and infrastructure investments. Despite widespread use, it lacks empirical validation.

Computation and Impact

• The standard, alongside population figures, helps compute a city’s domestic water demand.
• It serves as a benchmark for assessing water shortages and overconsumption, guiding future investments in water supply services.
• Water diverted from rural to urban areas often relies on this standard, affecting resource distribution negatively.

Setting Standards

• Agencies Involved: Bureau of Indian Standards, CPHEEO, and local city authorities like those in Mumbai and Delhi.
• These standards, like CPHEEO's 150 lpcd for megacities and 135 lpcd for others, lack empirical backing.
• Under initiatives like Jal Jeevan Mission, a standard of 55 lpcd is used, which also lacks empirical justification.

Influence on Urban Planning

• Per capita standards significantly influence the design and cost of urban water supply schemes.
• CPHEEO’s approval of these schemes mandates adherence to the prescribed standards, affecting project financing and implementation.

Challenges in Implementation

• Multiple standards are applied simultaneously, often for convenience rather than actual needs, as seen in Mumbai's different standards for various projects.
• Lack of functional water meters and isolated supply zones in cities hinders monitoring of water flow and delivery according to standards.
• The service level benchmarks by MoHUA include per capita supply but fail to ensure actual delivery.

Efforts are necessary to develop evidence-based standards and ensure equitable water distribution, guaranteeing each citizen receives their rightful water share.