The worst drought in decades is leaving an oil refinery in southern India parched. Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. shut a crude-processing unit at its facility on Thursday because of a water shortage, according to M. Venkatesh, its refinery director. The company known as MRPL is also closing other smaller units, leading to reduced production of fuels including gasoline and diesel, he said by phone on Friday. The El Nino phenomenon that’s triggered dry weather has left millions of Indians grappling with severe drought, and also affected companies whose facilities need steady supplies to continue operations uninterrupted. After weak rainfall over the past two years, the country’s dams have dried up and its 91 major reservoirs are less than one-fifth full. The upcoming monsoon may bring some relief, but a challenge looms from competition for scarce groundwater and surface supplies among farmers, industries and cities. “The district is facing […]