Mohit Ray Urbanization in India has been mostly unplanned, a product of demographic shift and poverty induced rural-urban migration. It exerts immense pressure on urban infrastructure, a significant part of which is water resources. Five Thousand Mirrors: Understanding Urban Water Bodies brings out the multifarious roles of small water bodies in the urban context. These ponds address several needs, from meeting the water requirements of citizens and improving urban ecosystems, to keeping a particular cultural milieu alive. The empirical study in this book focuses on the small water bodies of Kolkata. Including a social survey, a history of less-known but important water bodies, water quality analysis, some narratives of a people's movement and a scrutiny of environmental politics, this book presents a new understanding of an important natural resource. The study in this book holds particular relevance across the developing world, and will hopefully lead to better water management in other continually expanding urban areas. Publication Jadavpur University Press