In Pictures: People fight for every drop in drought-hit Delhi

SUMMARY

In this teeming capital city of more than 20 million people, a worseningdroughtis amplifying the vast inequality between India's rich andpoor. The politicians, civil servants and corporate lobbyists who live in substantial houses and apartments in centralDelhipay very little togetlimitlesssupplies of pipedwater– whether for their bathrooms, kitchens or to wash the car, dog, or spray a manicured lawn. They can do all that for as little as $10-$15 a month. But step into one of the slum areas in the inner city or a giant disorganized housing estate on the outskirts and there is a daily struggle togetand pay for very limited supplies of water, which is delivered by tanker rather than pipe. And the price is soaring as supplies are fast depleting. India'swatercrisis is far from even-handed - the elite inDelhiand most other parts of the country remain unaffected while thepoorscramble for supplieseveryday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence and those of his cabinet are in centralDelhi, as are those of most lawmakers. That may help to explain why it took until this week for Modi to call for a massivewaterconservation program, the first big initiative by the government despite years of warnings about dry reservoirs and depletedwatertables, policymakers andwaterindustry experts said.

By ReutersJul 8, 2019 11:19:38 AM IST (Published)

A woman and her daughter carry a container after filling it with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files

A girl walks past the empty water containers kept by the residents to collect free drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files

Residents fill their containers with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files

Residents fill their containers with drinking water through pipes from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Residents fill their containers with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/Files

Residents use temporary pipes to fill their containers with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/Files

A woman stands after filling her containers with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files

Residents holds pipes as they wait for a municipal water tanker in New Delhi, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/Files