COVID-19, “risks” and critical reflections on WASH services in Kolkata's slums

Rapid urbanization in developing nations like India has exacerbated urban poverty, with proliferation of slum households. These vulnerable urban settings, with high density and asymmetric availability/accessibility of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), provide an amicable ambience for the transmission of contagious diseases. Considering this, geographical targeting and mapping of vulnerable urban groups have emerged as pivotal strategies in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and similar contagions, as endorsed by both the World Health Organization and the World Bank. The asymmetries in WASH provisions across slum households and other low-income areas were brought into sharper focus during COVID-19, revealing the potential for the spread of similar contagions in future. In this context, we employed Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA), considering the parameters of physical distancing and WASH provisions in slums, to develop a COVID-19 risk index and map risk zones within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area. The analysis has been further substantiated through Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) carried out across fifty slums in different risk zones of the KMC to underscore the vulnerability of these areas in the face of pandemics. Our findings highlight the dire situation of slum dwellers, who remain highly susceptible to contagions like COVID-19 due to inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and physical distancing measures. These revelations prompt critical questions on achieving the targets of Sustainable Development Goals and stress the urgent need for geographical targeting and tailoring of place-specific policies to foster sustainable cities and safeguard the 'right to the city' for these vulnerable sections.