When Mohan switched on the motor to draw water from the sump near his house in a Chennai suburb last week, neighbours tried to stop him. And when his wife Subashini rushed to his side in support, a neighbour, Aathimoolam Ramakrishnan attacked her, stabbing her in the neck with a sharp weapon.
Ramakrishnan, who is Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal’s driver, was arrested last Thursday and Subashini is recovering at a Chennai hospital, according to a police officer. But the violent clash only highlights the worsening
 
With few signs of rains across the state and reservoirs running dry, Chennai’s IT firms and restaurants have cut down operations, residents struggle to book tankers and the state government has begun disconnecting water connections to houses for illegally drawing water.