India has made remarkable progress in expanding access to safe drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission, which has provided tap water connections to nearly 80% of rural households. While urban areas generally have access to municipal water supply, even if intermittent, a large segment of the population living in peri-urban areas continues to face severe challenges related to water availability, sanitation, and governance.
Understanding Peri-Urban Areas
Peri-urban areas are transitional spaces where rural settlements gradually transform into urban or industrial zones. They are neither fully rural nor completely urban and often fall outside the effective jurisdiction of both rural and urban governance institutions.
As India's urbanization accelerates, these regions are growing rapidly. The number of Census Towns increased dramatically from 1,362 to 3,784 over the past two decades. Although these settlements exhibit urban characteristics such as population density, economic activity, and infrastructure demand, they continue to be governed under outdated rural administrative systems or poorly integrated urban frameworks.
This governance ambiguity has created a significant service delivery gap, particularly in the areas of water supply and sanitation.
Growth of Peri-Urban India and Governance Challenges
The Governance Vacuum
One of the most critical problems confronting peri-urban India is the absence of clear institutional responsibility. These areas often fall into a governance vacuum where neither Panchayati Raj institutions nor urban local bodies adequately address residents' needs.
In Gurugram, for example, several peri-urban villages were brought under municipal administration after rural governance structures were dissolved. However, civic infrastructure failed to keep pace with rapid urban expansion. As a result, many residents continue to experience inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and weak waste management systems.
Similarly, residents of Rawta village near Delhi receive water only on alternate days and often during late-night hours. Families are forced to stay awake at night to collect water, disrupting daily life and increasing their dependence on expensive private water suppliers.
Environmental Consequences of Poor Water Governance
Groundwater Contamination
Rapid urban growth without proper environmental safeguards has resulted in widespread groundwater pollution in peri-urban regions.
In the outskirts of Hyderabad, toxic leachate generated from waste dumping sites has seeped into groundwater aquifers. Since many peri-urban communities rely heavily on groundwater for drinking and domestic use, contamination poses serious health risks and threatens long-term water security.
The absence of effective waste disposal systems has further aggravated environmental degradation in these regions.
Unequal Distribution of Water Resources
Urban expansion often leads to the diversion of water resources away from rural and peri-urban populations.
A prominent example is the Bisalpur Dam in Rajasthan. Initially constructed to support irrigation in Tonk and Sawai Madhopur districts, an increasing share of its water is now diverted to meet the growing needs of Jaipur city. Consequently, downstream farmers face reduced access to irrigation water, negatively affecting agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
This trend highlights the growing competition between urban consumption and rural water requirements.
Public Health Implications
The lack of proper sanitation infrastructure has emerged as another major challenge in peri-urban India.
Although significant progress has been achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission, nearly 40 million urban households continue to depend on septic tanks and other on-site sanitation systems.
In many peri-urban areas, septic tanks are not desludged regularly. Untreated faecal sludge is often dumped illegally into rivers, lakes, agricultural fields, or open lands. This practice contaminates water sources, spreads disease-causing pathogens, and undermines public health gains achieved through sanitation programmes.
Thus, inadequate water governance is increasingly becoming a public health issue as much as an environmental one.
Future Challenges
Expanding Urban Demand
India's urban population is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decades. By 2047, the country may require nearly 230 million additional housing units and approximately 500 new cities.
Many of today's peri-urban settlements will evolve into tomorrow's urban centres. If current governance failures continue, these areas may become hotspots of water scarcity, environmental degradation, and social inequality.
Threat to National Water Security
Peri-urban regions sit at the intersection of agricultural, industrial, and urban water demands. Without effective planning, rising urbanization could place enormous pressure on already stressed water resources.
Therefore, the future of India's water security is closely linked to how effectively it manages these rapidly transforming regions.
Policy Solutions and the Way Forward
Strengthening Governance Structures
The first and most important reform is addressing the administrative vacuum through the creation of Nagar Panchayats, as envisioned under the 74th Constitutional Amendment.
Formal recognition of peri-urban settlements must be accompanied by stronger institutions, better accountability mechanisms, and improved service delivery capacity.
Successful examples already exist. In Sultanpur village, collaborative platforms involving government officials, engineers, and local residents have demonstrated how participatory governance can improve water management and public services.
Protecting Water Sources
Long-term sustainability requires the protection of rivers, lakes, groundwater aquifers, and drinking water sources from pollution and encroachment.
Community participation can play an important role in this effort. Community-based sanitary inspections, which have shown positive results in Maharashtra, can strengthen local ownership of water resources and improve monitoring mechanisms.
Towards Swachh Bharat Mission 3.0
Experts have proposed a specialized Swachh Bharat Mission 3.0 focused specifically on peri-urban sanitation challenges.
The programme should prioritize:
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Scientific faecal sludge management.
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Establishment of treatment plants in underserved regions.
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GPS-enabled monitoring of desludging vehicles.
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Deployment of mini-cesspool vehicles suitable for narrow settlements.
A small sanitation levy integrated into monthly water bills could also provide a sustainable source of financing for sanitation infrastructure.
Promoting Decentralized Wastewater Treatment
Decentralized wastewater treatment systems offer a promising solution for peri-urban areas where centralized sewerage networks are often absent.
Innovative Indian companies such as Indra Water and Tigreen have developed technologies capable of recycling more than 95% of wastewater while requiring minimal land and energy.
With stronger policy support, financial incentives, and government procurement mechanisms, these technologies could significantly improve water reuse and reduce environmental pollution.
Innovative Financing Models
Peri-urban water infrastructure should be treated as a strategic national investment.
Blended financing models that combine government funding, private investment, and concessional international loans can help bridge infrastructure gaps.
A successful example is Uttarakhand's partnership-based financing approach, which combines state support with international funding to strengthen water and sanitation systems.
Such models can provide the long-term financial sustainability necessary for large-scale infrastructure development.
Importance for Sustainable Development
Peri-urban India occupies a crucial position in the country's developmental trajectory. These regions serve as economic corridors, industrial hubs, residential extensions, and agricultural support zones simultaneously.
Their future will significantly influence:
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Water Security
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Public Health
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Urban Sustainability
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Environmental Conservation
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Inclusive Economic Growth
Ignoring these regions could undermine the gains achieved through initiatives such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, and Smart Cities Mission.
Conclusion
Peri-urban India represents the "missing middle" in the country's development story. Despite its growing demographic and economic significance, it continues to suffer from weak governance structures, inadequate infrastructure, groundwater contamination, irregular water supply, and poor sanitation services.