In September 2016, India was in a drought after the monsoon rains came in. There was a water sharing deal between two of the states, and this caused much protests.

CNN reports, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to protesters to exercise restraint and follow the law as a heavy paramilitary presence was deployed Wednesday. Protests began earlier this week over a water sharing deal between the Indian states of Karnataka and neighboring Tamil Nadu.”

The Cauvery river was the source of the dispute. This river was used to help rice fields grow.

Time Magazine explains, “Karnataka state was ordered to release 12,000 cubic feet of water per second every day to Tamil Nadu until Sept. 20. The river is the main source of water for the state’s rice crops and disputes over water are common, especially when there are droughts or weak monsoons.” Farmers in Tamil Nadu were getting angry because they did not have enough water for their crops.

Per CNN, “Farmers also struggle to meet their farming needs. Tamil Nadu claims it is not receiving enough water and blames Karnataka for holding it in its reservoirs. The latter claims the former is asking for more than it actually needs.” This led to violent strikes among the farmers.

Time Magazine reports, “Violence erupted after India’s Supreme Court ordered the state of Karnataka to release water from the Cauvery river to the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, Reuters reports. The river, which flows into Tamil Nadu from the south of Karnataka, has been a source of conflict between the two regions since the British colonial era.”

The police had to get involved when the protests became too much.

Time Magazine explains, “At least one person was killed and several others injured when police fired on rioters in the southern Indian city of Bangalore Monday.”

A curfew was put up to protect people from rioting. Two days after violence broke out, the curfew was lifted.

Per the Indian Express, “Curfew has been lifted in Bengaluru as normalcy returned on Wednesday, two days after violence shook the country’s tech hub in protest against the release of Cauvery river water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, police said.” Water.org  provides fresh drinking water to areas around the world, where there is limited access to water. India is one of these countries.

Water.org reports, “Since 2005, Water.org has played a significant role in India’s progress towards improved water, sanitation and hygiene.”

Please pray for fresh drinking water in India and that there would be a good monsoon that wouldn’t be destructive in India this year.

CNN: Two dead in water riots in India’s Silicon Valley

Time Magazine: A Dispute Over Water Between Two Indian States Has Left One of Them in Flames

The Indian Express: Cauvery water Dispute: Curfew lifted, Bengaluru limps back to normalcy

Water.org: India’s water and sanitation crisis

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