The two minute film Runway for Water, released by nonprofit Water For People, is a stark statement about what women and girls in rural India go through to find water for their families.

Ponds once dotted the rural hinterland and were integral to the daily lives of villagers, who revered and protected them for both religious and drinking purposes. But, with the advent of handpumps and now piped water supply, these water bodies have been encroached upon by buildings, bhavans, playgrounds or putrefying garbage dumps. With changing climates and increased water stress, protecting and reviving the village ponds has become imperative.

People living in villages close to the Sandila Industrial Area, 55 kms from Lucknow, say the alcohol, sugar and milk factories are rampantly using groundwater, because of which they have to struggle for water every single day

India accounts for the highest number of people forced to flee their homes due to climate-related disasters such as floods, cyclones, droughts and the growing water crisis. This summer, as water sources dry up, many more prepare to leave their homes in Uchchadi village of Chitrakoot to become environmental refugees.

As we rush headlong into the world of artificial intelligence, never have we felt a greater need to go back to basics and revive the ancient wisdom that has stood the test of time. The Bhovi community of traditional well diggers has many lessons to offer, as I learnt one afternoon.

Large portions of the ‘perennial’ Betwa river in Madhya Pradesh are bone dry due to over exploitation of the groundwater and the river. Poor villagers living along its banks trek long distances to fetch drinking water while rich tubewell owners sell aquifer waters. Will the Ken-Betwa link project solve the region’s water crisis? A ground report.

The government school in Kora village in Tumakuru has enough water for drinking, cooking, washing and gardening purposes thanks to the rainwater harvesting system installed with the help of the non-profit Biome.