Institutional Gaps and Social Inequities: Caste Dynamics, Drinking Water Access, and Health Outcomes

Abstract

The current paper showcases the challenges of drinking water availability, accessibility, and quality in Shekhpur Khichara village, a peri-urban settlement in Uttar Pradesh, India. The data analyed it in the light of public health and social inequities. The study shows the role of water sources, local power structures, and institutional gaps in creating problems for marginalized communities, leading to health issues. The study involved the use of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with male, female, and Scheduled Caste groups, transect walks in the village, key informant interviews with officials like Block Development Officer, Gram Pradhan, executive engineers, and Block Medical Officer, and field observations. The methodology relied on thematic analysis to understand villagers’ views on water use and health impacts, triangulating primary data with secondary sources like institutional records and socio-political literature on rural water governance for depth and validity. The findings draws institutional lapses and social power imbalances as major barriers to safe water and sanitation. In the past, wells were the main drinking water source, but were abandoned due to groundwater depletion, contamination, and repurposing for settlements as the population grew. This paper posits that water institutions must improve coordination, monitoring, and community training to address these gaps. Without this, inequities continue, harming health and daily life, especially for vulnerable groups. The paper argues that community participation and hygiene education are key to better public health.