Smart cities will Require an Institutional Approach to Address the Water Crisis

Institutional mechanisms have played an important role in determining how cities have coped with the provision of infrastructure – especially with regards to water supply. The state has long been entrusted with the responsibility of actual provision of services as a ‘public good’ – to be offered on a best effort, but largely unaccounted for basis, i.e. as part of a social contract. As a result, State Government entities – such as Public Health Engineering Departments, Water Supply & Sewerage/ Drainage Boards held primary sway over-provision of services, and in very large cities, municipal bodies themselves were assigned the actual responsibility for the provision of services.