The Stream, July 21: Drought Spurs Water Violence in Northern India

India
A drought in northern India has prompted gangs of bandits to demand a daily payment of water from local communities, the Associated Press reported. The bandits said they would shoot community members if they failed to deliver 35 buckets of water each day.

Delays and deficits of monsoon rainfall are drying up farm fields and forcing small-scale farmers to look elsewhere for work, Reuters reported. Two thirds of India’s population rely on farming to make a living, meaning many are economically vulnerable to periods of drought.

Municipal Water
Residents facing water shutoffs in Detroit will get a 15-day reprieve as the city’s water utility reassesses customers’ ability to pay their bills, the Detroit Free Press reported. A group of residents has also filed a lawsuit to stop the water shutoffs and restore service to those who have lost it.

Neighborhood-based greywater systems, which recycle water for non-potable uses, could make the practice more affordable and widespread, the Guardian reported in an analysis of the technology. Greywater systems can reduce water usage by 50 percent.

Caribbean
A drought on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, which the government has called a “water crisis”, is bringing attention to the need to make water systems more resilient to climate change, Inter Press Service reported. Raising awareness and encouraging sectors such as tourism and agriculture to work together is the first step, according to local experts.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek