Urbanisation was once a dream but it has now become a nightmare for people residing in the urban cities. The depletion of our air and water is becoming literally dangerous. We have been exploiting natural resources for quite a long time and it’s finally taking a huge toll on our daily life.
Given below is the city wise depreciation faced by Urban India due to instability of air and water.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu and its capital Chennai are struggling to meet the water demands of its citizens. Chennai is facing a drought for the third year in a row. As of Thursday, Chennai’s four reservoirs together had only 31 million cubic feet (mcft) of water as against a total capacity of 11,257 mcft.
With the city fighting to meet its water demand Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is almost completely dependent on alternative sources including water from desalination plants and stone quarries in Kanchipuram district.
As Chennai reels under a water crisis, the city’s IT hub is taking steps to conserve water. From letting employees work from home to implementing water-conservation methods, IT companies are going that extra mile to save water.The city has been grappling with water shortage and residents are mostly dependent on tankers to meet their daily needs.
The four reservoirs supplying water in Chennai are almost dry and residents have been suffering for at least two months now. As Chennai is grappling with severe water crisis, the water-intensive real civil and construction sector is beginning to feel the heat. Many players have slowed down their activities and those in operation have found innovative ways to keep themselves going. Construction companies are now looking for innovative construction technologies to minimise water usage.
Bangalore
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said they’re planning to ban the construction of apartments in the city after consulting with various stakeholders. The government’s proposal comes in the view of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s ongoing Cauvery Water Supply Phase. The BWSSB’s project, which aims at providing drinking water connections to the suburban areas of Bengaluru, is likely to be completed in the next five years. India’s monsoon has progressed more slowly than usual after hitting the southern state of Kerala nearly a week late. Monsoon rains have been 44% lower-than-average so far in June, delaying the sowing of summer-sown crops and raising concerns that parts of the country could face a worsening drought.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast average rainfall in 2019, while the country’s only private forecaster Skymet has predicted below-normal rainfall. Karnataka, like other states in India, has been revolving under a severe drought due to fading rain.
Mumbai
Few days earlier it was reported due to insufficient rainfall last year, the BMC had cut 10 percent the water supply from November 2018. Usually, the city witnesses rains from the second week of June, however, this year the rains are showing no signs of making their presence felt even with July around the corner, making authorities anxious. Eventually monsoon came but gave a big blow too.
Suddenly then it became too much to bear for Mumbaikars due to rain. The most recent Mumbai downpour has brought the city to a standstill, with schools and offices shutting shop and people being advised to stay indoors. More than 20 people are reported dead.
Delhi
Report by the NITI Aayog about the capital’s own water woes. Delhi will in all likelihood run out of groundwater by 2020. Predictably, population growth has been one of the main reasons for this. However, failure to implement sustainable water harvesting resources has also contributed to it.
In fact, 90% of Delhi is at a semi-critical or critical level in terms of groundwater.
Delhi literally has the worst air quality in the world, according to a report by the WHO.
The capital was found to have a heavy presence of PM10 particulate matter – 292 micrograms per cubic meter. The annual safe limit set by the WHO is 60. 21 people died in a wall collapse in the city, while 14 others died in rain-related incidents. The death toll in Maharashtra has now risen to 35. Rail, air, and road traffic has been severely affected in Mumbai, with a massive number of flights being cancelled. Most flights have also been delayed for extended periods.