Water Crisis in Bundelkhand: Generations of Women Bear the Burden

In Adhrori village, Banda district, Bundelkhand, a 68-year-old grandmother, her 44-year-old daughter-in-law, and 17-year-old granddaughter undertake a daily ritual of fetching water. The granddaughter, who should be studying for school exams, walks over two kilometres each morning to the only functioning borewell in the block, carrying pitchers on her head and in her arms.

Sukhrani has witnessed water scarcity across six decades. She was 18 when the 1967 drought struck, forcing her to walk eight kilometres to a river. Her mother-in-law died from fever after drinking contaminated water. In 2026, despite promises from government water schemes, her family repeats the same struggle daily, spending over an hour on water collection as summer temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius in the region.