) Contaminated water in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras is pushing residents to the wall. Unable to get clean drinking water for themselves, a father and his three daughters have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his permission to end their lives.

Chandrapal Singh, a farmer from Hasayan block in Hathras, has been making rounds of government officials with complaints about the water in the area tasting like brine (salty).

"We cannot drink this water. 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 told reporters.

The other residents of the area are also battling with the 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 Rakesh Kumar.

However officials, when contacted, feigned ignorance about the problem. IANS