Urban water inequality 

November 11, 2025

When we picture a water-scarce city, the focus often falls on shortages alone. But scarcity is also shaped by inequality. Water does not disappear equally for everyone. Those with higher incomes usually enjoy uninterrupted supply, while poorer households face erratic access and higher costs. This imbalance sits at the heart of Water Wars, a three-part short film series created by economist and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee and graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee. The series examines how water is controlled, priced and distributed across Indian cities, and how economic and political structures determine who benefits. The third film, “Price of Water,” was screened at the India International Centre in Delhi on August 7. The first two films are available online.

Supported by the MIT Center for Art, Science and Technology, the series blends history, economics and visual storytelling to show how water systems are reshaped to serve private gain. Policies often overlook the needs of poorer communities, who end up paying more for water that is less reliable and harder to access.

The first film, “The Land of Good Intentions,” looks at changes in Punjab and West Bengal’s agricultural practices. Punjab once relied mainly on wheat and maize, while rice was central to Bengal’s food culture. The Green Revolution reversed this pattern in Punjab by pushing farmers to switch to rice, a crop requiring heavy irrigation. As a result, groundwater levels fell sharply in a region with limited rainfall. Abhijit explains this shift through the idea of “general equilibrium,” showing how targeted agricultural policies created large-scale unintended consequences. The film ends by reflecting on the farm law protests and how policy reforms continue to influence power structures in agriculture.

The second film, “The Eternal Swamp,” focuses on Kolkata. As industrial work declined, land and construction became central to the city’s economy. Ponds and marshes that once absorbed rainwater and replenished aquifers were gradually filled up. This reduced the city’s ability to drain stormwater. Abhijit contrasts a 1978 storm that cleared in five days with a lighter 2006 storm that took ten days to drain, illustrating the loss of natural water buffers.

The latest film, “Price of Water,” turns to Bengaluru. Earlier planners used the city’s ridge-top geography to create a chain of lakes that moved water across neighborhoods by gravity. Today, many lakes are polluted or encroached upon, forcing the city to pump water from the Cauvery river. This energy-intensive system has allowed private water tanker networks to thrive. These tankers supply many households, often at high prices, deepening inequalities. While wealthier residents enjoy consistent access, poorer communities ration their supply. The film also highlights how the burden of collecting water continues to fall disproportionately on women, pointing to long-standing gender imbalances.

Through stories, humor and visual detail, the series invites viewers to reconsider how cities value water, and who gets left out when decisions are made.