Understanding the Process and Consequences of Hybrid Governance for Water Delivery in Odisha

Research shows that gaps in urban water provision in the Global South are often linked to governance arrangements rather than only physical water scarcity or inadequate infrastructure. This has led to institutional reforms that change who plans, manages, and delivers water. However, governance transition is typically gradual rather than a single transformative event, with older practices often persisting alongside new rules and procedures. There is limited empirical understanding of how these reforms are carried out in practice and why similar reforms produce different outcomes across contexts. This project examines a governance transition in the Indian state of Odisha, where responsibility for water services shifted from a government engineering department to a publicly owned utility. Using official documents and in-depth interviews, the study traces how the transition unfolded, how older and newer organisational arrangements were adapted, combined, or continued in parallel, and how this shaped everyday service delivery. This project will generate evidence on how governance reforms affect service outcomes. The host institution will benefit from original field-based data and a process-oriented case that supports theory-building on institutional change in public services. The home institution will benefit through analytical strengthening of doctoral research and research collaboration.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nidhi Subramanyam

Student:

Partner:

XIM University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Water; Sustainability and the Environment; Public Service, Policy, and Governance

University:

University of Toronto

Program: