Up to 70 per cent of women in parts of the drought-prone region in central India are affected by acute water shortages, according to one NGO estimate.

There is limited data on water scarcity, particularly its impact on women, in Bundelkhand. Sunil Kurmar Srivastav is the Chitrakoot district coordinator for Abhiyan, an NGO that works on issues including water management and the empowerment of women in the districts of Banda and Chitrakoot. He says that his organisation has no reliable data, and none is available from the government.

But, he says, “as per my observation, Manikpur belt of Chitrakoot would have around 70 per cent women affected [by] acute water shortage. In fact, any area in Bundelkhand with water scarcity would have 60-70 per cent women bearing the brunt of the issue.” This is because the management of the home, in which water plays a key role, is considered to be women’s responsibility.