India’s water systems are under strain as a result of droughts, leaks and pollution. An estimated 21 cities, including Bangalore and New Delhi, could run out of groundwater by next year, according to a 2018 government report. The study also stated that over 600 million Indians face “acute water shortages”. In the US, where there is no shortage of water, many cities have been forced to cut back on their use in recent years. On an early afternoon in late February, Gupta drives me to one of New Delhi’s drains near the sprawling, manicured grounds of the Sunder Nursery, a historic park in the center of the city. An estimated 200,000 people die each year due to the fact that 70% of the water supply is contaminated. Climate change is expected to be a “force multiplier” for the crisis.
India’s water systems are under strain as a result of droughts, leaks and pollution. An estimated 21 cities, including Bangalore and New Delhi, could run out of groundwater by next year, according to a 2018 government report. The study also stated that over 600 million Indians face “acute water shortages”. In the US, where there is no shortage of water, many cities have been forced to cut back on their use in recent years. An estimated 200,000 people die each year due to the fact that 70% of the water supply is contaminated. Climate change is expected to be a “force multiplier” for the crisis.