Go and ask any Hyderabadi, what is the
dearest to him. He'll surely say "Water". The reason is simple, water
is very scarce these days. Not only water, anything that is very rare is
dear to people. Now try to guess the meaning of dearth
(dear+th).
We will say something is dearth, when it's
dear to us. Something is dear to us, when it's very rare. So now every
Hyderabadi is facing the dearth of water.
word: Dearth
meaning: Scarcity, an inadequate
amount.
usage: The dearth of talent in India
is evident in Olympic games.