Ajmer Water Crisis Forces Residents to Lock Their Water Barrels

Ajmer residents lock up their water tanks because of the fear that they may get stolen.

Ajmer residents lock up their water tanks because of the fear that it may get stolen

(Photo: ANI)

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

The Rajasthani city of Ajmer is in the middle of a massive water crisis. In scorching heat, with temperatures rising as high as 43°C, residents complain that water is available only once in four days, and that too for just five minutes.

All the houses are constructed on an elevation. But despite the fact that pipelines have been laid, the water pressure is minimal.

This has led some residents to lock up their water barrels because they fear that someone might steal their quota of water. Residents further say that the support from the government even in this time of crisis is minimal. They claim that the government water supply tankers arrive only once in four days and that too for a very brief period of time. It hardly leaves people with any time to fill up water.

Manju Devi, a local, says that no government official has come to take stock of their situation. The locals believe that construction of water tanks will go a long way in solving this problem.

The shortage of water has created a tense atmosphere and has led to rising tensions between people.

Water scarcity has been a pan India problem this summer. Schools in Shimla were shut down due to lack of water while 5 districts in Uttar Pradesh were declared drought-hit.