In South Asia, where women are responsible for domestic
water, the opportunity costs of time spent collecting water,
finding alternate sources, developing coping strategies to deal
with shortages, and caring for family members affected by
water-borne diseases tends to fall disproportionately on them.
A major motivation for women’s participation in the CMWSS
in Indore was, therefore, associated with the material benefits
of water supply. Women had no reliable water sources prior to
the project and expressed concern about unsanitary conditions
and problems of privacy and safety. They often walked as far
as 5 km to fetch water or purchased water from households
with private wells. Some bought water from private tankers
for Rs.500 per household, which lasted about two to three
days. It was, therefore, not surprising to find that they had a
high personal stake in the project. The everyday nature of their
dependence on the project and limited exit options sustained
their motivation to act collectively.
Contrary to this, the presence of alternate water sources
tended to undermine women’s propensity to participate in
the CMWSS in Gwalior and Jabalpur. In Gwalior, for
instance, demand for the project varied by geographic location.
Households at the bottom of the hill had municipal supply
while those on the hillside had to either purchase water
from them or collect water from the public hand pump located
there. Municipal water was supplied at 4am, which made it
inconvenient for women who relied on the hand pump. They
complained about accidents while collecting water. Some
reported that they paid a person to run an electric motor for
an hour to avoid making the trip downhill so early in the
morning. Those with municipal supply perceived the CMWSS
to be unreliable since it was a new system. Moreover, the committee
secretary pointed out that the existing municipal supply
was free since there had been no collection for years and
households owed the municipal corporation up to Rs.10,000.
Petty corruption made it relatively easy for them to pay off bill
collection staff without the threat of disconnection. Women
from households in these areas were, therefore, less likely to
show commitment toward the project. Not only were they
receiving free water, they were also benefiting from the sale
of water to those without a connection. Similarly, in Jabalpur,
households reported that they did not want the existing tube
wells to be disconnected because they were their only alternate
water source in case there was a disruption in the CMWSS.
Women from households located close to the tube wells
reported that they preferred to collect free water despite being
aware that it did not meet standards considered safe for
drinking.