The Politics and Poetics of Water: The Naturalisation of Scarcity in Western IndiaThe book studies the relationship between large dams and water scarcity in Kutch. It argues that water scarcity is not merely natural, but is embedded in the social and power relations shaping water access, use and practices. Scarcity is portrayed as natural rather than human induced and this naturalisation of scarcity is beneficial to those who are powerful. This is a significant book in the light of the growing water crisis in India, and the world. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Water and Identity in Kutch | 30 |
Water and Identity in Kutch | 57 |
Overview Social Difference and Tenure Arrangements | 101 |
Water Local Cosmologies and Difference | 137 |
Living with Scarcity and Uncertainty | 179 |
Manufacturing Popular Perceptions of Scarcity | 238 |
Dryland Blindness of Planners | 276 |
Appendix II | 344 |
Appendix III | 347 |
Appendix IV | 348 |
Appendix V | 350 |
Appendix VI | 351 |
Glossary | 358 |
References | 361 |
| 385 | |
Common terms and phrases
agricultural Ahmedabad animals Anjar argues Bhachau Bharvads bhopa Bhuj Bombay canal caste cent Chapter crops cultivators cultural Delhi Desert Ecology Dhokas discourse discussed district drinking water drought drought relief dryland earthquake ecological economic environmental example famine farmers fields fodder ganda bawal Gandhinagar gender Government groundwater groups Gujarat Gujarat Institute Harijans Hence India Indus Institute of Desert interventions irrigation Jadejas knowledge systems Koli Kutch land landscape history large dams linked livelihood livestock Mandvi Merka migration Narmada water nature notion pastoralism pastoralists perceptions policies political population power relations practices problems pûn Rabaris rain rainfall Rajasthan Rann Rapar region rich river Rjputs rural saline Sardar Sarovar Sardar Sarovar Project Sarpanch Saurashtra simara social and power soil strategies taluka tank tanker Transhumant variable village virda water management water resources management water scarcity water supply water-related watershed development women