Since 2019, Chennai has been highlighted as the city with the biggest water crisis in the world. While Cape Town caught a lot of attention in 2017 and 2018, the city and province, the Western Cape, has been able to recover from extreme drought conditions as a result of inadequate rainfall patterns for three years. The city was set to be the first metropolitan city set to run out of water in the world.
However, now, Chennai tops the list with a massive water crisis. They too have declared Day Zero, but more than a year ago, back in June 2019.
How is the City Coping with its Water Crisis Now?
Today, Chennai can’t provide water to its residents, as its four main reservoirs have run dry. With no water left, and two years of massively deficient monsoon rainfall seasons in late 2017 and 2018, there has been no way to divert the crisis more than half a billion people face in the city.
Since tap water has stopped running, residents have been relying on other water sources, like public water pumps, along with costly water tankers. So far, it’s been a difficult road for Chennai residents. The city has over 8 million residents, and the mismanagement of the city’s water resources, along with its weak monsoons, has reduced the reservoirs to 0.1% in June 2019. Water is considered a very precious resource in Chennai today – one that is used extremely sparingly. Thus far, many protests have been held against the government for their lack of management and the ability to solve the problem at hand. Other than the local water pumps and expensive water tankers, the city’s residents continue to hope for rain, ensuring they catch every drop they possibly can to sustain themselves comfortably for even a little while.
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