Uttar Pradesh government is working on a war footing to provide the promised tap water connections in every household of the seven districts of the rain-deficient Bundelkhand region by this Diwali.

The government ordered shutdown of tanneries in November when the Maha Kumbh Mela had started to ensure that the pilgrims could have a cleaner dip. It’s been five months and yet there is no clarity on why the tanneries are still shut or when they can re-open.While the discharge created by the tanneries is being cited as the official reason, tannery owners blame the government. Thousands have lost their jobs and the industry has suffered losses to the tune of crores of rupees

In many villages in and around Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, dirty water from the tanneries and sewerage is treated and sent to the farmers for irrigation

It is not just the debilitating heat and long treks that make fetching water such a trial for the rural women. In Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, the water they bring for the family is also contaminated by unsafe levels of fluoride that poses a serious threat to their family's health. Can fluoride removal plants solve the growing problem of water contamination?

A ground report that was part of Gaon Connection’s Paani Yatra series last summer was a catalyst that helped bring piped water to Lahuria Deh village located on a hilltop in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.