Drought threatens to darken colour festival

Mumbai : A CHRONIC water shortage in India\'s financial capital, Mumbai, could put a dampener on a popular Hindu festival normally celebrated with wild \'\'rain dances\'\' and riotous fights using powdered paint.

Municipal authorities have issued an edict to Holi revellers not to waste drinking water during today\'s festivities and vowed to crack down on anyone caught misusing it.

Holi, or the Festival of Colours, is a public holiday marking the end of winter and the arrival of spring. It is particularly popular in northern India and other parts of the world with large Hindu populations.

Last year, India had its poorest monsoon rains since 1972, and water levels in the six lakes that supply Mumbai plunged.

At one point, officials warned that some suburbs could have just 20 days\' water left.

With the start of the wet season in June, authorities are concerned about a repeat and have considered more cuts, including turning off the taps in some areas for one day a week.

\'\'As the city is reeling under a water shortage, people should avoid using drinking water for non-potable purposes, especially rain dances,\'\' local government official Anil Diggikar told the t2tn.

\'\'They can use non-potable water for Holi,\'\' he said.

Mumbai\'s mayor, Shraddha Jadhav, has asked the municipal authority to form teams to conduct strict checks on Holi parties, many of which are organised by co-operative housing societies.

\'\'We have decided not to provide water tankers for rain dances and requested people to refrain from the use of potable water for Holi celebrations, but it is necessary to have a team in place to keep check,\'\' Ms Jadhav said.

She called for a change in the law to make the misuse of water a criminal offence.

Water supply is a major issue in India.

A study released in November suggested that the country\'s water needs would double by 2030, as its billion-plus population expanded.

Mumbai needs 4 billion litres of drinking water a day to meet the needs of its 18 million residents but can currently supply only 3.3 billion litres.
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