Zero Water Crisis: Chennai’s Water Exploitation

by Andrew Ciccone July 04, 2019

India’s sixth largest city of Chennai is experiencing a severe water shortage. Residents stand in line for hours to get water and local restaurants have closed due to the lack of water. Its four main water reservoirs have been completely sucked dry.

Over the past decade, Chennai has been besieged with massive floods, cyclones, and now a crippling drought. The reservoirs have run dry, and there is no ground level water at all.

For the past thirty years, nearby marshlands have been drained for the IT, automotive and petrochemical industry. Deforestation has reduced forest cover to a bare fraction of the region. Declining rainfall has decimated crops as only a small percentage of the farms are irrigated. The fast receding water table is forcing farmers to drill hundreds of feet deep to extract water.

Never was there any consideration nor plans developed to ensure that the region’s water supply would be protected. Homes have run out of water, and clashes have erupted throughout the city. Water trucks deliver scant amounts of water, it’s just not enough. The acute water shortage has forced the city of Chennai to scramble for urgent solutions.

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Climate change along with a complete disregard for impoverished communities has impacted nearly 500 million people’s access to clean drinking water in the region.

We are seeing the transfer of water from rural to urban areas, everywhere around the world. Access to water diverted to those who will pay from those who live in poverty. Let's not forget the water crisis in Flint Michigan.

Until we change the way we work the land, and rethink the way we do business our planet will die a sudden, certain death. We can’t just dig, drill and mine the earth without creating sustainable solutions to restore the natural order of our world.

Climate change is real. We have to re-examine the way we work the land and how we value our water. Climate change compounds the abuses to our ecosystem. Superstorms and the destruction of our rainforests is killing our wildlife. Many species are on the brink of extinction.

Now is the last and only chance to save our planet. We need to protect, preserve and start making sustainable choices about our water use.

Andrew Ciccone

Author

Andrew Ciccone, VP Branding & Media Strategy - Andrew's long strange marketing trip began after graduating from Syracuse University with a BS in Marketing. Andrew then developed his marketing prowess when he moved to Madison Avenue big boys Young & Rubicam, Backer Spielvogel, and Grey Advertising. He went on to get a Masters in Corporate Communications from Baruch College, then went on to start his own agency in 2011 - Hudson Valley Public Relations. Andrew has earned a reputation for creative, smart, innovative campaigns that get results. Andrew's spare time is devoted to sailing regattas, family fun and film. To date he has penned four screenplays.