Chennai: ‘Only rain can save Chennai from this situation.’ This is not what a hydrologist of the city is saying. This is from the Instagram post of Titanic hero, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Chennai water scarcity has drawn the attention of the whole nation and now, it has started to garner it at the global level.
It became global news after mediahouses like BBC and CNN covered it .
In fact, it was a BBC article on its website (18 June) that provoked the Titanic-fame actor, also an environmentalist, according to his Instagram bio, reposted BBC News’ Instagram post, that talks about Chennai city’s acute water shortage.
Here is what DiCaprio reposted:
‘#Regram #RG @bbcnews:
Only rain can save Chennai from this situation. A well completely empty, and a city without water. The southern Indian city of Chennai is in crisis, after the four main water reservoirs ran completely dry. The acute water shortage has forced the city to scramble for urgent solutions and residents have to stand in line for hours to get water from government tanks. As the water levels depleted, hotels and restaurants started to shut down temporarily, and the air con was turned off in the city’s metro. Officials in the city continue to try and find alternative sources of water – but the community continue to pray for rain. Tap the link in our bio to read more about Chennai’s water crisis. (Getty Images) #chennai #watercrisis #india #bbcnews’
In the comment section of his post, several instagrammers from India and various other countries thanked and appreciated him for talking about this issue and bringing it to spotlight.
Groundwater in the capital city of Tamilnadu has gone completely dry and the reservoirs, too. The waterbodies are either polluted or encroached. The city-dwellers, of late, find it extremely difficult to function without or with less water. The issue has grown big, that even corporates suggested their employees to ‘work from home’.