- April 29, 2022
Looking to Summer '22: Earth Day & The Water Crisis in India
The theme of Earth Day 2022 was Invest in Our Planet. To MIT graduate student Pramada Jagtap (Architecture '23), investing in our planet means investing in reviving and protecting water infrastructure to address water equity in India. We recently caught up with Pramada, who will be traveling with MIT-India this summer to further her important project. Check out our conversation below to learn about how Pramada's work is addressing water equity in Pune, India.
Where are you from originally?
Navi Mumbai, India
Can you describe your research and what you did over IAP?
My research thus far observes the effect of growing material boundaries of Pune city (Western India) on its water infrastructure, and conversely, the effect of large scale water infrastructure on local communities and ecology. Over IAP 2022, I visited the sites in Pune to collect footage for a documentary film with a fellow urban planning candidate from Cornell University, Adhish Parkar. The film has since received a PKG IDEAS grant and will advocate for the revival and protection of natural springs, streams, temple tanks, step-wells, and dug wells. We are currently between the ideation and conceptual stage of the project. In this process, we discussed and expanded our ideas by speaking to experts who are aligned with water infrastructure.
Can you please elaborate on the water crisis in urban areas of India?
There are numerous reports by experts on water-based displacement resulting from the climate crisis, in India and around the world. In addition to this, over the past few centuries, we have witnessed displacement caused by large-scale water infrastructures such as dams, long-distance pipelines, promenades, and riverfront developments. My research aims to tackle displacement caused by infrastructure, which results from politically and economically spearheaded decisions, in order to bring attention to people-centered means of managing and organizing water infrastructure to address water equity.
In the process of making the documentary, what surprised you? What was most rewarding?
People’s willingness to share their expertise was a pleasant surprise. We discovered numerous sites only because the community members were actively involved in the making of the film and took us through the lanes of Pune. Being able to listen to and engage with the intimate stories that people share of their experience with water systems in Pune has been very rewarding.
We’re excited to have you be part of the program this summer, can you please describe what you’ll be working on?
This summer I will be studying the representation of water in various media from the 19th to the 21st century in western India, through the specific case of Pune city. I am interested in how the representation of water in various media (including, but not limited to, political campaigns, development plans, popular film, water museums, and visual art) can create and restore sustainable, nature-culture relationships. In my SMArchS thesis (2023), I aim to explore the nature of contemporary built infrastructure associated with water. How can we build on traditional water systems to enable decentralized access? How can rethinking mental models inform governance structures?
Check out these links related to Pramada's Project!