Unable to get clean water for themselves, a father and his three daughters from Uttar Pradesh's Hathras have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his permission to end their lives.
It has come to be known that a farmer from Hasayan block in Hathras Chandrapal Singh has been making rounds of government officials with complaints about the water in the area tasting like brine (salty).
"We cannot drink this. Whenever my daughters drink it, they throw up. The crops are also drying because of excessive salt in it. I cannot afford bottled water for the family. My pleas for action have fallen on deaf ears and I have now sought permission from the Prime Minister to end my life and also that of my minor daughters," he informed the media.
And this is not just his lone problem as several other residents of the area are also fighting the same problem.
"The water is so salty that even the animals do not drink it. We have to walk three to four kilometres to get potable water," said another resident Rakesh Kumar.
However, when the officials were contacted, they feigned ignorance about the problem.