Political Ecology and Social Production of Drinking Water Scarcity in India's Contaminated Landscapes

ABSTRACT Employing the political ecology framework, this article aims to: (a) evaluate the effectiveness of political ecology as a framework to understand disparities in drinking water access in India, with specific reference to the case studies of Shahpur in Bihar and Myorpur in Uttar Pradesh; (b) investigate how social hierarchy, governance and material risk shape water accessibility; and (c) identify actionable strategies for equitable and participatory water governance, particularly with regard to marginalised communities. This article is based on household surveys, groundwater analysis and spatial assessment to interrogate the dominant narrative that construes ‘scarcity’ as merely technical or natural. Putting it succinctly, ‘scarcity’ has been advocated by the hitherto‐existing power structures to legitimise economic inequality. The findings of the study demonstrate that water inequities are socially constructed and maintained through power relations, historical marginalisation and sociopolitical hierarchies.