and the impact of future droughts in India brought upon by climate change will put the entire country at risk unless stronger regulations are put in place. Chennai has historically relied on annual monsoon rains to replenish its water reservoirs since the rivers are polluted with sewage. There are four reservoirs in the city, namely, Red Hills, Cholavaram, Poondi and Chembarambakkam, with a combined capacity of 11,057 mcft. Extreme drought Three years of failed monsoon in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2018 monsoon season was one of the driest ever recorded in Chennai, as only 343.7 mm of rain had fallen compared to an average of 757.6 mm, which was a 55% rainfall deficit. Additionally, the entire state of Tamil Nadu had recorded a 23% rainfall deficit in that season. A major heatwave in India from May to June 2019 further increasing the problem by evaporating any water still left in reservoirs. Government mismanagement Government mismanagement and unplanned construction has also been a factor to blame for this crisis. Impact Millions of people are without consistent access to water. A lack of rainwater and groundwater has left four reservoirs that supply water to the city completely dry. The inability to meet the demand for water has forced businesses like hotels and restaurants to close. Water tankers from areas of Tamil Nadu unaffected by drought have been bringing water into some areas of the city. However, government tankers can take up to a month to appear after requested, so many families, wealthy residents, and business owners have opted to pay for costly private water tankers. The poor who live in slums do not have this option; a family in Chennai's slums may receive as little as of water every day compared to an average American household which uses of water a day. Many fights over water have also broken out due to the conflict. In one such conflict that occurred on 15 June 2019, a woman was stabbed and the perpetrator was turned in to the police. See also Cape Town water crisis – a similar water crisis that occurred in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018 References 2010s in Chennai Water scarcity 2019 disasters in India Water in India Further reading