More than 150 kilometres away from Banda — the hottest place in India , residents in Uttar Pradesh’s Shankargarh block are battling an acute water crisis amid the ongoing heatwave. With temperatures soaring across the state, many villagers are being forced to walk nearly 10 kilometres daily to fetch water.
“There is a major problem here. We have no water facility and no electricity either. This issue happens all the time… We always have to bring water from far away, travelling at least 10 kilometres to get it… This problem has been going on for years, but no one is listening to us… 150 people are living here…,” a local told news agency ANI.
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An intense water shortage in Prayagraj’s Shankargarh block has forced thousands of residents to struggle for drinking water as temperatures continue to remain above 40 degress Celsius during the ongoing heatwave.
What authorities say
Responding to concerns over water scarcity in the Shankargarh block, Additional District Magistrate Vinita Singh said the administration has issued instructions for an immediate review of the situation and necessary repairs to water infrastructure.
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“…We’ve made special efforts regarding that. We’ve spoken to them via video, and we’ll get back to them. Instructions have been issued from here, asking them to review the arrangements and, if necessary, get tankers delivered immediately,” she told news agency ANI.
Vinita Singh also said advisories related to the extreme heat have been circulated widely through media and local groups to spread awareness among residents.
“Continuous alerts have been issued regarding the heatwave for the past 23 days. We have issued an advisory regarding this at our level, which we have distributed to various media groups and other groups,” Singh told news agency ANI.
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She added that cooling facilities and emergency water arrangements have been put in place in several parts of the district.
India’s hottest place is in UP
Shankargarh is just about three hours away from UP’s Banda, a place identified as the hottest in India currently. The town takes on a deserted look after 10 am every day, with shops almost shut and roads empty, not because of a ritual but due to excruciating heat.
On April 27 this year, Banda recorded 47.6 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature anywhere in India that day and its highest since 1951, surpassing its previous peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius for the month, reached on April 30, 2022, and April 25, 2026. UP’s Banda was warmest in India on fourth consecutive day on Wednesday at 48 degrees Celsius after logging a record-high of 48.2°C on Tuesday.
