India must prioritize the needs of its thirsty cities before the rest

Then, a 900-year drought [is thought to have] emptied its urban areas and sent its population back to a simpler, poorer village life on the plains of the River Ganga..

Tech professionals are leaving Indias IT hub of Bengaluru amid an intensifying drought that has gripped the city as it sweats through another torrid pre-monsoon season, The Deccan Herald reported this month..

In neighbouring Keralawhich catches much of the monsoon rainfall before it reaches inland stretches of Karnatakaa minister has written to Bengalurus companies, suggesting they relocate because water is not an issue at all" in his state, The Times of India reported..

The southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu account for just about 15% of Indias population but they generate about a quarter of GDP thanks to the strong performance of their technology and manufacturing sectors..

As well as sucking up groundwater, Indias millions of grid-connected electric pumps put further stress on the power system, accounting for about a fifth of electricity consumption..