As scorching heatwaves continue to ravage large parts of India, the plight of women risking their lives to fetch water for their families has come to the forefront. A gripping video shared by news agency ANI sheds light on the perilous journey undertaken by these women in a village located in Maharashtra’s Koshimpada.
In the footage, a woman can be seen navigating treacherous and barely visible steps as she descends into a deep well, her only hope of securing water. With the well nearly devoid of moisture, save for a small muddy puddle, she fills her pot with the meager and contaminated supply. The video also captures the sight of ropes attached to buckets, carefully hoisting precious water from the depths. Subsequently, women carrying slender metal pails on their heads traverse dusty remote trails to reach their homes.
This dire scenario reflects the plight faced by countless women in India and other nations, who are compelled to embark on exhausting journeys, spanning miles, to procure water for their households, all while battling harsh weather conditions. Acknowledging the severity of the water crisis in these communities, Vijaykumar Krishnarao Gavit, the minister of tribal development in Maharashtra, has vowed to take action. He has assured that every village in the state will have access to water facilities under the Jal Jeevan Mission by 2024. A tender has already been approved for this ambitious project, aiming to provide a sustainable solution to the pressing issue at hand.