India, June 14 -- A few days ago, a fight broke out in the city of Ranchi which resulted in the stabbing of at least six people. The brawl was not about an alleged theft or some form of disagreement that escalated quickly or any other incident commonly associated with a serious fight in broad daylight. Instead, it was over water.

Jharkhand, as also the rest of India, is suffering from an acute water crisis in the high heat of summer. This is why it was not surprising that while residents in a particular locality in Ranchi were standing in line patiently for hours to draw water, a fight broke out when an individual allegedly filled water in large quantities, leaving little to spare for other residents. While fortunately no one died in the...