India's Sixth Biggest City Is Almost Entirely Out of Water

Millions of people are running out of water in Chennai, India's sixth largest city. The Chembarambakkam reservoir and the three other reservoirs that have traditionally supplied Chennai are nearly all dry, leaving the city suffering from an acute water shortage. CNN reports: Due to an inability to collect sufficient rain water combined with low groundwater levels, the Tamil Nadu state government has been struggling to provide water to residents. With the reservoirs dry, water is being brought directly into Chennai neighborhoods in trucks. Every day, hundreds of thousands of residents have no choice but to stand in line for hours in soaring summer temperatures, filling dozens of cans and plastic containers. With supplies strictly rationed, many wealthier families have taken to relying on expensive private water tankers. Although the municipal body has worked to prioritize low-income households, residents who book government water tankers could still wait up to a month. It's not immediately clear how many are without water in Chennai presently.

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