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Watch | Women in Madhya Pradesh village risk their lives to fetch water
Temperatures in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal remain over 40 degrees Celsius.
As large swathes of India boil and blister under heatwaves, many - especially women - have to risk their lives to fetch water for their families. A video shared by news agency ANI - from a village in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district - shows how people make life-threatening descents into a deep well for water.
The 53-second video opens with two women carrying thin metal pails on their head and walking down a dusty remote track with the wind howling.
The video then cuts to a stomach-churning shot of a woman in a purple saree climbing up the sheer wall of the well; there seem to be almost no handholds, never mind steps, as the woman climbs several feet to exit the well. All the while women can be heard talking.
The video then shows what appears to be the bottom of the well - which is almost bone dry except for a small puddle of muddy water refilled by below-ground reservoirs.
One other woman - in a yellow gown - is seen climbing out of the deep well.
Ropes with buckets attached to them are pulled out, containing precious water.
"Govt employees and political leaders only come during elections. This time we have decided not to give votes until we have a proper water supply. We have to go down the well to collect water. There are 3 wells, all have almost dried, no hand pumps have water," locals told ANI.
Temperatures in capital Bhopal remain over 40 degrees Celsius.
Nevertheless, this is 2022 and women, anywhere in the country, should not have to risk their lives to fetch water. However, lakhs of Indian women (and those in other countries) are forced to do just that - often walking miles in harsh weather to bring home water.
