21 Indian Cities to Run out of Water by 2020
Chennai, one of India’s largest cities, has run out of water. The four lakes that supply water to chennai have dried up. Currently it has only 1% water compared to last year.
Chennai, one of India’s largest cities, has run out of water. The four lakes that supply water to chennai have dried up. Currently it has only 1% water compared to last year. Residents don’t have enough water to drink, bathe or wash clothes. People are working from home; malls have closed their bathrooms; and restaurants have shut their doors. Most of the people in Chennai are dependent on water tankers and curtailed municipal supply for daily requirement of drinking water. Women wait in long queues for hours and rush to the water tankers to get water. This barely meets their drinking and kitchen requirements. Price of Bottled water is reported to have gone up four times. Only the wealthier middle-class afford it. IT sector companies have asked employees to work from home.
Usually you would blame the situation on climate change. In part yes. The last monsoon’s rains were weak which is a reason for the shortage. However, the situation in Chennai’s is a man-made disaster. Development projects such as flyovers, airports and high-rises are a big reason for the water shortage.
Four years back there were dangerous floods in Chennai. However none of that water was able to accumulate.
Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio posted a picture on Instagram. In the caption below the picture, he said that Chennai is suffering a major water crisis and only rain can save the city. NITI Aayog is a government research organisation that works to find solutions to problems. A report said that, 21 Indian cities will run out of groundwater by next year. This will include cities like New Delhi and Bengaluru.Two hundred thousand Indians already die every year because they don’t have a safe water supply. The report also says that 40 per cent of India's population will have no access to drinking water by 2030.
