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Water shortages add to struggles in India heatwave

STORY: Residents of the Vasant Vihar area of Indian capital New Delhi resorted to locking water containers with chains and padlocks. Water tankers have been keeping communities supplied but residents said there was not enough to go around.

The crisis is just as severe in central city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. One resident, Vikas, said water supplies had been offline for nearly a week and the quality of the scant water available was "unusable". Residents were seen lining up at a hand pump to get water, with Vikas pointing out that if the pump failed, the area would be in a "real mess".

Water crises are not a new phenomenon in India. Many parts of India often experience water shortages, especially in the months of May and June - the country's hottest months. Parts of the India's north, south and west have already registered temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius.