Climate change: Shifting monsoon patterns causing water distress in India

Climate change has a multiplier effect and is likely to worsen in the coming years

Tourists are being asked to stay away from Shimla during peak holiday season, and schools have been shut for this week, as the city received nearly 60 per cent less water daily since May 18, 2018. The crisis could hit the state’s economy as 7.2% of the state’s gross domestic product is dependent on tourism.

Reservoir levels in Himachal Pradesh are 56 per cent below normal for this time of the year, according to a fact-sheet released by Climate Trends, a Bengaluru-based non-profit, on June 5, 2018.