NEW DELHI – The southern Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras) is in crisis after its four main water reservoirs ran completely dry.
The acute water shortage has forced the city to scramble for urgent solutions, including drilling new boreholes.
Residents have had to stand in line for hours to get water from government tanks, and restaurants have closed due to the lack of water.
“Only rain can save Chennai from this situation,” an official told BBC Tamil.
The city, which, according to the 2011 census, is India’s sixth largest, has been in the grip of a severe water shortage for weeks now.
As the reservoirs started to run dry, many hotels and restaurants shut down temporarily. The Chennai metro has turned off air conditioning in the stations, while offices have asked staff to work from home in a bid to conserve water. (BBC)
