"Armed Guards At India's Dams As Drought Grips Country"

"Government says 330 million people are suffering from water shortages after monsoons fail".

"As young boys plunge into a murky dam to escape the blistering afternoon sun, armed guards stand vigil at one of the few remaining water bodies in a state hit hard by India’s crippling drought.

Desperate farmers from a neighbouring state regularly attempt to steal water from the Barighat dam, forcing authorities in central Madhya Pradesh to protect it with armed guards to ensure supplies.

India is officially in the grip of its worst water crisis in years, with the government saying that about 330 million people, or a quarter of the population, are suffering from drought after the last two monsoons failed."

Agence France-Presse had the story May 2, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Parts of India Ban Daytime Cooking After Hundreds Die From Heat Wave And Fires" (AP)

"'Wildfire Has Ravaged Vast Belts In Ghats'" (Times of India)

"India's Drought Migrants Head To Cities In Desperate Search For Water" (Guardian)

"Wildfire Engulfs Forests In J-K After Uttarakhand and Himachal" (Hindustan Times)