India, Oct. 17 -- For Mehak (name changed), 28, a resident of Srinagar's Bagh-e-Mehtab, the absence of a regular water supply has turned a basic necessity into a daily struggle. "Every morning, I wake up hoping that there will be a regular water supply, but there is never any certainty," she said. "For the past few years, we have struggled to get enough water for bathing, washing clothes and other basic needs. We have installed three tanks at home, but even that is becoming expensive. There is no fixed timing for the water supply, and sometimes the water we get is not clean.

"The constant uncertainty has taken an emotional toll on my mother. She becomes stressed and her mood changes because every day begins with the same worry whether we...