ALERT: Mumbai, Delhi to go very dry by 2025!

Mumbai and Delhi are expected to experience the maximum demand for water in the world by 2025, says a report by Mckinsey Global Institute.

According to the report, nearly 80 billion cubic meter increase in municipal water demand is expected in the world cities by 2025, and Mumbai and Delhi tops the list of the 20 countries that are expected to experience the maximum demand.

The National Capital is already reeling under severe water shortage and going by this report water woes for Delhi and the country's financial capital are not likely to get over soon.

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Meanwhile, three other Indian cities -- Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad -- are ranked seventh, 12th and 16th respectively in the list of top 20 global cities that are expected to experience significant demand for municipal water by 2025.

Among the top 10 cities, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Khartoum, Dhaka and Istanbul are other global cities that are likely to witness significant water demand.

As urban populations and incomes grow, so does demand for water -- the most basic good that people need.

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"In India and China whose urbanisation is occurring on a very large scale, we are seeing the incomes of a large number of consumers hit a "take off" level at which the consumption of many goods and services picks up speed rapidly," the report said.

McKinsey further noted that urban municipal water demand would rise by almost 80 billion cubic meters, equivalent to more than 20 times the water consumption of New York today and 40 per cent above today's urban global level."

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By 2025, the annual demand for municipal water in the world's large cities is likely to increase from around 190 billion cubic meters per year today to about 270 billion cubic metres per year.

The report further noted that building or expanding the municipal water supply infrastructure will require cumulative investment of about $480 billion by 2025, including investment to increase supply and to expand the distribution and treatment of wastewater.

East and South Asia will account for more than 50 per cent of this increase in water consumption, it said.