Acute water shortage is something that many countries are experiencing now, and the problem can only worsen in the days to come. In India, cities like Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad have already been affected by serious water scarcity. Consumption of water for various purposes, including industrial, in cities is much more than in rural areas. As the cities continue to expand at a rapid pace, so does the demand for water. In Assam, too, there has been a serious deficiency in water supply, but the problem here has its own peculiarities...editorial