Delhi Grapples with Severe Water Crisis Amid Intense Heatwave
Delhi is in a critical water shortage under extreme heat conditions, which will increase by 44 °C. Due to the severe heat waves experienced in the city, the national capital has been pushed into a serious situation of water shortages. The demand for water increased rapidly because of high temperatures that often hit record levels; hence, supply cuts have become more frequent across different parts of the city. Residents are deprived of water, with many relying on tankers to meet their requirements.
The Delhi government approached the Supreme Court yesterday seeking additional supplies from neighboring states, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, for one month. Water scarcity is urgent due to its importance as the country’s capital. This is according to officials who insist on the necessity of this step being taken immediately.
The heatwave has also provoked an upsurge in fire-related emergencies. On Wednesday, there were 183 fire calls reported by Delhi Fire Services that indicated a nearly three-fold rise caused by severe climatic conditions. On that day, there were a total of 220 emergency phone calls made to DFS, including bird and animal rescue calls; this was the highest number ever recorded this year.
According to him, “TThe Delhi Government has taken some emergency steps, such as banning car washing with potable water and use at construction sites,” but people still struggle for access to clean water since they are even lining up for oil tankers.’ These developments coincided with Delhi experiencing a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, there were other environmental effects due to the increased intensity of hot weather spells. Delhi water scarcity has worsened, with people fighting to get water in different parts of the city. It has also been noticed that extreme heat has led to a rise in fire-related emergencies, as evidenced by an almost threefold increase in the number of fire calls recorded by the Delhi Fire Service.
The maximum temperature is expected to fall below 45 degrees Celsius gradually over the next few days, according to the IMD India Meteorological Department. Some relief has already been given through light rain and thundershowers, which have occurred in many areas of Rajasthan so far. Other places, such as Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Ajmer, and Jodhpur, should expect more light to moderate rainfall.
With every passing moment, it becomes clearer that both of these issues are becoming even more serious for Delhi and that something must be done about them immediately. The Delhi government should act now on this water shortage issue to enable residents to access this essential commodity.
News Source: IndianExpress
