Water is a commodity many people in the developed world can easily take for granted because it is easily available to them. However, in some parts of India, water is so scarce that some are dying on their way to get this precious liquid.
Summer in India usually starts in May and lasts until June. But this year, the heat came very early. Temperatures can reach as high as 113 degrees, causing a drought unlike any other experienced in the South Asian nation.
The Indian government estimates that 330 million of its people are affected by the ongoing drought, particularly in areas in the southern half of India such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
India Partners, an American Christian development and relief organisation, reported that in some places, even fetching water every day has become a life-threatening mission for some residents due to the intense drought.
In an article on MNN Online, Donna Glass of India Partners says water supply in some parts of India is already running very low, and some of the sources of water have already been deemed unsafe to drink.
"Those sources are very low water levels that are also becoming contaminated as people are taking their animals to it to drink," Glass says.
This poses a potential health list to residents, she adds.
"It makes the water unsafe to drink, so if they can even get water, it's still making people sick," she says.
Glass urges Christians all over the world to walk in Jesus' footsteps and extend help to India residents affected by the drought. For only $20, the group will be able to provide 400 to 500 people with water for a day.
"We're trying to live out the Gospel and it's what we're called to do to our neighbours here in the United States, to our neighbours in India. [...] That's why it's so important that we take action," she says.
Prayers can also help those suffering in India due to the intense heat, she says.
"Pray that people would see Christ in this service in the bringing of the water. Pray that the temperatures would drop," Glass says.
