Impact of Housing Density on Water Supply in Mumbai

Abstract

One of the basic needs of any life form on planet Earth is water. Even if this resource surrounds the majority part of the planet only a limited and small part of it is available for us to use. There is a great responsibility on the shoulders of humans to use this resource fairly and sparingly. However, as the population of humans on this planet keeps on increasing more and more people are being left with less amount of water. A similar situation is being seen in the city of Mumbai in India where the population growth has made the city one of the largest in the world. Being an island city there is no scope for the city to grow horizontally and hence it is trying to grow vertically in order to increase its capacity. This thesis studies these two points of a limited water supply and an increasing population density caused by housing policies as well as population growth and relates the impact the density has on the water supply of the city. The aim of this study is to analyse the issues that are being proposed by the government to reduce the water consumption to help the distribution of water to the masses. This is to give a clearer idea of the potential of the systems and to assess if they could actually help in reducing the usage and improve the water supply in Mumbai. The thesis offers a brief history of Mumbai and its origins, the climate and geography, the growth of population and the density. It also discusses what problems the city is currently facing in terms of water supply by studying the history of the city and how water has been provided to its population, current water supply and how the water is charged, causes of shortage and domestic usage patterns. Then the systems to help improve the water supply along with case studies are discussed to help understand the potential for these systems and how their implementation will benefit the reduction of water shortage in the city. This study takes the facts gathered from comparisons in the case studies as a model for discussion over the future of the water needs of the city and how they can be addressed with the systems proposed along with other methods which could lead to more responsible use of water which is ultimately an important but rare resource for all on Earth.