Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 23 : Residents in Uttar Pradesh's Shankargarh block are battling an acute water crisis amid the ongoing heatwave. As the temperatures rising above 40 degree celcius across the state, locals are being forced to walk around 10 kilometres daily to fetch water.
"There is a major problem here. We have no water facility and no electricity either. This issue happens all the time... We always have to bring water from far away, travelling at least 10 kilometres to get it... This problem has been going on for years, but no one is listening to us... 150 people are living here," a local said.
Addressing the concerns over water scarcity in the Shankargarh block, Additional District Magistrate Vinita Singh said the administration has issued instructions for an immediate review of the arrangements.
"We've made special efforts regarding that. We've spoken to them via video, and we'll get back to them. Instructions have been issued from here, asking them to review the arrangements and, if necessary, get tankers delivered immediately. They should immediately repair any hand-held farms that require repairs. If reboring is possible in that area, get it done," she told ANI.
Meanwhile, several parts of Northern, Central and Western India are currently locked in the grip of a punishing heatwave, forcing regional administrations to enact emergency countermeasures.
Heat wave conditions are very likely to occur during the next 6 days, as per IMD's daily weather report and forecast bulletin. "Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions prevailed in few pockets over East Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha; Heat wave conditions in many pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Himachal Pradesh; in some pockets of East Madhya Pradesh; in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, West Uttar Pradesh & Coastal Andhra Pradesh," said IMD.