Water in Kolkata is a free resource, but there is a disparity between how much water is received in different slums due to the lack of a measuring system. While some neighborhoods have a continuous flow of water for up to twenty hours, other locations only have access to a five hour stream. Because the population is so dense, this is a problem. There was a plan in place to install a meters so that water can be divvied up in a fair manner, but the project stalled as it fell into the hands of political leaders. The delay of a venture that has the potential to improve many lives of Kolkata residents is a prime example of water being utilized as a political resource.