India is undergoing a water crisis. Shimla, the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, was hit by an unprecedented water shortage during the hot season. This caused a standstill in the city’s activities which includes public toilets being padlocked and schools mostly shut. The government of Shimla has done little to control the influx of new residents and visitors in the city. An estimated 25,000 illegal hotels were built which resulted to the loss of almost 70% of Shimla’s water sources. It is predicted that major cities in India may exhaust water supplies in two years.

Officials in Shimla said that the crisis was exaggerated. According to Jai Ram Thakur, the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, the situation returned to normal within 4-5 days. However, the city residents disagree. Naresh Kumar, a citizen of Shimla, said “[w]ashing clothes, taking baths, they became privileges.” Many families and even smaller cities had to rely on water trucks and government supplies as they are also teetering on the edge.