India’s ambitious $80 billion coal power expansion is running into a major hurdle: water scarcity. In dry regions like Solapur, residents now wait over a week for water as coal plants compete for limited supply. Most of the 44 planned coal projects are located in water-stressed areas, sparking concerns of future clashes between industry needs and public access. NTPC, India’s top power firm, is involved in nine of these projects and claims efforts are being made to conserve water. However, experts warn that prioritizing land over water access could worsen the country’s growing resource tensions.
