IoT Technology-Based Urban Water Management Strategies Using Indian Traditional Knowledge System

Cities around the world like Cape Town, Chennai, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Jakarta are at risk of running out of drinking water. The Indian traditional knowledge has helped cities survive even during the worst droughts, but the ever-increasing population growth and the water stress on cities are visible. The importance of the Indian traditional water knowledge can be gauged by the fact that when Mughals built the city of Fatehpur in 1571, without giving much importance to traditional knowledge, they had to abandon the city because of the lack of constant water supply in just 14 years. To meet the growing water needs, India’s Government had launched the urban transformation scheme, “Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation” (AMRUT), in 2015. One of the scheme’s main objectives is to provide water services to the poor and disadvantaged through infrastructure development and better coordination of various government agencies. The study proposes using the Internet of Things (IoT) in better water management in cities and integrating traditional knowledge with advanced technologies. Twelve cities under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) program are selected for the study. The selected HRIDAY cities are Amaravati, Gaya, Dwarka, Badami, Puri, Amritsar, Ajmer, Kanchipuram, Velankanni, Warangal, Mathura, and Varanasi, which hold great national importance. These cities are facing water shortage due to the old water infrastructure and rapid unplanned growth postindependence. The study aims to analyze the current water shortage level and present the scarcity in the selected cities. A list of the traditional water conservation methods and management methods will be presented and how they can be used to solve the water crisis in cities. The success and failure of AMRUT schemes in different cities like Delhi and Chennai will be discussed. With the use of IoT technology, a safe drinking water supply can be ensured, and water loss can be minimized. Various government reports and court orders will be analyzed to understand the government’s measures to manage water shortages. Finally, the study concludes by recommending using IoT technology for better water management in the selected cities. The outcome of the study will be presented in the form of urban water management strategies. The survey, for the first time, will integrate traditional and advanced knowledge in water management in India. The outcomes of the study may have policy implications. The authorities may use them in implementing strategies in cities that are facing drinking water shortages.