WATCH: Desperate For Water, Women Descend Deep Dry Wells, Walk Several Kilometres In Maharashtra Villages
As Maharashtra battles a growing water crisis, women in the state’s rural belt are enduring backbreaking conditions to secure drinking water for their families. In Borichivari village, located in Taluka Peth of Nashik district, women are forced to descend into deep, narrow wells — often with just a rope for support — in a daily struggle for water. With no local water source, they walk more than two kilometres under the scorching sun to fetch water that is often unsafe and insufficient.
Visuals by news agency ANI from Borichivari village captured a woman climbing into the depths of a well as others waited above, holding earthen pots, or ghadas, for their turn. Each pot, once filled, serves as the family’s sole water supply for the day. The dangerous act has become a daily ritual, as per ANI, reflecting both their resilience and the grim extent of the scarcity.
One woman from the village shared her ordeal, remarking, “We face a lot of difficulties in securing drinking water. We have to travel 2 kilometres to get water. Women get sick, sometimes fall while carrying the water back and forth. Our village doesn’t have any source of water.” Another woman added, “Even after walking all that distance in the heat, we manage to get just one vessel of water. It’s not enough. We boil the water, but our children still fall sick. We’ve raised the issue multiple times, but no help has come.”
The crisis has also added financial strain to the villagers. The Deputy Sarpanch of Borichivari told ANI, “Women have to walk almost 2 kilometers to get water. Those who can’t make the journey end up paying Rs 60 to others just to get a small quantity of water.”
Women Compelled To Walk 7-8 kms Under Extreme Heat To Locate Water In Dhangaon Village Of Nandurbar
Similar scenes are playing out in Dhangaon village of Nandurbar district, a tribal-dominated area, where residents have reported a lack of basic water facilities. With the onset of summer, women said they are compelled to walk 7-8 kilometres under extreme heat to locate water — often without paved roads or vehicles. One woman recounted her ordeal, saying she had no choice but to walk the distance, adding that their repeated pleas for assistance have gone unheard, as per ANI.
Locals in both villages have appealed to authorities for urgent intervention — including the installation of water tanks and the development of a sustainable water supply — warning that the situation could deteriorate further if left unaddressed.
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