The Politics of Sanitation in India: Cities, Services and the State (New Perspectives in South Asian History)

The Politics of Sanitation in India examines how the environmental problems confronting Indian cities have arisen and subsequently forced millions of people to live in illegal settlements that lack adequate sanitation, and other basic urban services. This has occurred because of two factors. The first is the legacy of the colonial city characterized by inequitable access to sanitation services, a failure to manage urban growth and the proliferation of slums, and the inadequate funding of urban governments. The second is the nature of the post colonial state, which, instead of being an instrument for socio-economic change, has been dominated by coalitions of interests accommodated by the use of public funds to provide private goods.

The result has been that the middle class has been able to monopolize what sanitation services the state has provided because the urban poor, despite their political participation, have not been able to exert sufficient pressure to force governments to effectively implement policies designed to improve their living conditions. The consequence is that public health and environmental policies have frequently become exercises in crisis intervention instead of being preventive measures which benefit the health and well being of the whole urban population.

These issues are explored by examining the history of colonial and post independence urban development and management in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and analysing why these cities have failed to provide equitable access to sanitation services for all residents.



Contents:
List of Tables List of Maps Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction: The Politics of Sanitation Colonial City Legacy: Growth, Slums and Local Government A Failure to Manage: Urbanisation and Planning Since 1947 Inadequate Provision: Urban Governance and Basic Services Living Illegally: Slum-Dwellers and the State A Filthy Occupation: Attempts to Eliminate Scavenging Ahmedabad: From Enlightened Self-Interest to Ghettos and Inequality New Approaches: Participation, Partnerships and the Urban Poor Conclusion: Globalization and the Averted Gaze Appendices The Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992 Selections from the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 Glossary Bibliography Index