India suffering from 'worst water crisis in history'

World
Europe

01:43

Geeta Devi's life revolves around her wait for water.

The Delhi resident spends about four hours daily just waiting for a tanker to arrive, a wait that results in just 30 liters of water – if she is lucky.

"What can we really do without water? If we don't get enough, I have to ask my neighbors for it. We have to do whatever we can to meet our needs," Geeta said.

Geeta is one of the many Indian citizens living on the brink.

Recently, a government-run think tank estimated that India is suffering from the "worst" water crisis in its history with around 600 million people facing a severe water shortage.

The agency also estimates that the situation is "only going to get worse" as 21 cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020.

Some cities have already started running dry. In May this year, nearly a quarter of a million residents in the town of Shimla were left scavenging for water for nearly two weeks.

Many experts say India would have to implement drastic measures to conserve water if it wants to avoid Day Zero.

"How can we be expected to live without water? You can't even eat anything without having a sip of water first. It's essential," Geeta said.

The government says that it is doing whatever it can to avert a crisis. But until then, every drop counts.