Humanizing Urban Waters : Civilian led Water Corps to Strengthen Decentralized Water Systems in Western India

Abstract

Over the past century, we have witnessed global water-based displacement owing to the climate crisis, and displacement caused by large scale water infrastructure such as dams, long-distance pipelines, promenades and river fronts. Urban waters have infamously been presented as disruptors within community and ecology, often perceived as a violent threat or unpredictable “hazard” to urbanism. This thesis uses policy, design, public dialogue and sensory engagement to redefine our experience of water as a ubiquitous fluid, intrinsic to settlement and the very ground on which urbanism dwells.

Pune city in Western India is fertile for this exploration since beneath its dense urban settlement is a ground of flowing waters both surface and subsurface, a culture rich in indigenous techniques, historical waterfronts, stepped wells, aqueducts and water collection tanks. The Peshwa of the Maratha empire dominated a large portion of the Indian subcontinent from 1674 to 1818. During this time, they constructed numerous small scale water systems, such as canals, step wells and temple tanks in Western India, particularly in Pune, Maharashtra. While water infrastructure built in this era has been widely subjected to scrutiny of gender and caste based discrimination, one cannot ignore its close attention to community and geomorphology. India’s changing climate continues to have a significant impact on its water resources, which includes rainwater, groundwater, and surface waters. This thesis proposes the revival and re-adoption of existing resources through a civilian led water corps to design for long term resilience. I use a multi-pronged approach that includes a) grassroots organization creating water stewardship, b) conservation of traditional techniques and structures, using c)multimedia representation of water and the d) adoption of new experiments in nature based technologies.

Beyond its portrayal of urban landscapes, the medium of film has not been drawn upon in architecture as a tool for advocacy and social change. This thesis adds to the field by using filmmaking as a method of inquiry, tapping into its potential to represent a diverse set of voices. Based on evidence collected through this community sourced videography, the thesis proposes the creation of a water corps, a catalyzing force at the intersection of community and water. The corps will train and employ young adults to develop learning tools, and lead the movement to long term resilience building with communities and ecology in the forefront of urbanism. This creation of a civilian water corps in Pune can accelerate a growing need to implement nature-based-solutions that enable equitable access and supply of water, while reviving traditional water systems. By taking proactive steps now, India can work towards a more sustainable and resilient water future by supporting the socio-ecological design of urban waters.