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Contents: 1. Thinking Water: Exploring Village Studies. 2. Natural Resources in Sociological Theory. 3. The Villages: Locale, Society and Culture. 4. Managing Water: Role of Community and State. 5. Social Structure, Water and Conflict. 6. Water and Social Change. 7. Conclusion: Insights into Political Economy of Water.

Water is the lifeline of humankind. Its use and abuse determine the course of development. When almost all the communities are hierarchical, its access, distribution, and management become very crucial to the survival and development of the human race. The present book discusses the issues of control over water and its equal distribution in the rural community of Central Uttar Pradesh. Based on empirical research, it unravels the dynamics of water control and use in two canal irrigated villages which reveals different realities of canal and groundwater irrigation. It articulates that although social hierarchy, i.e. caste, class and gender are detrimental to access to and control over water leading to dominance and conflicts, mutual negotiations over the distribution of water is everyday routine for villagers. Further, it also unravels the positive aspects of groundwater irrigation as it is not controlled by a particular group or state and opens up opportunities of development through horticulture facilitated by groundwater markets. Thus, the study argues that water issues are faced by both types of communities either with scarcity or abundance and institutions like state and community organizations are equally responsible for managing any resource and ensure its access to every section of the society.