Water Crisis: From Mexico City to Kabul, City Dwellers on a Dry Diet
The largest cities in Asia, Europe, America, and Africa are facing the problem of dwindling drinking water. A look at the options discussed in the international press to address the growing threat of a waterless world.
At a construction site in Adarsh Colony, Delhi, India, six enormous engines are running to suck water from the pipes into tanker trucks. They will hit the road to deliver their precious cargo to residents who are lining up buckets, salad bowls, bottles, and other containers to ensure not a drop is wasted. “The operation is fast, meticulous, profitable, and illegal,” wrote The Print in June 2024.
As Delhi suffers from a severe water shortage, the private water tanker mafia diverts water from public pipes, drills illegally, taps into groundwater, and sells water that would otherwise be distributed free of charge to residents. A 4,000-liter tank, usually priced at 500 rupees, costs 5,000 (50 euros).
“The water tanker mafia is only taking advantage of the existing problem because the poorest of the poor in the city depend on water tankers for their survival, due to the lack of a water management and distribution plan,” laments Vimlendu Jha, an Indian environmental activist. The poorest don't even have access to running water. Several national and international organizations are warning: almost all of Delhi's groundwater is already
Courrier International
