Three Kilometres for a Pot of Water: In Maharashtra’s Melghat Region, Clean Water Is Still a Distant Dream

In the remote tribal village of Jutpani, nestled in the rugged Melghat region of Maharashtra’s Amaravati district, Kunti Baithakar, a mother of three from the Korku community, begins each morning by joining a weary line of villagers on a three-kilometre trek to fetch water from a distant pond.

There, they dig shallow pits along the bank to collect groundwater with their hands that are roughened by years of carrying heavy pots. With no access to running water from the taps in their households for most of the year, this arduous trek remains their only means to obtain water for drinking, cooking, washing, and basic survival.

A ritual of resilience

In Jutpani and neighbouring villages of the Dharni block that fall in the Amaravati district of the Melghat region, water collection is a ritual of endurance. Villagers walk or ride bullock carts for several kilometres each day to reach water sources that are both distant and unsafe. During peak summer months, when temperatures reach 46°C, the demands double. 

For Kunti, Sita, and Saroj, walking to the pond is a daily ritual, twice a day, and sometimes three times during peak summer when temperatures soar to 46°C. The pond they rely on is not just for drinking. It’s also where villagers bathe, wash clothes, and water livestock. “It takes hours. Sometimes I bring my daughter to carry back more water,” says Kunti, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

The water is often cloudy with silt, and families must boil or strain it, which becomes an added chore that eats into their already long days. Children frequently skip school to help, while women lose precious hours they could have spent earning a livelihood or caring for their families. Sachin Baithakar, an agricultural labourer, spends 45 minutes carrying drinking water on his head from the water source, a task that often leaves him with headaches and sore arms. Still, there’s no other option, even on days when he toils in the fields during the scorching summer months of May and June.

Understanding Melghat region’s Water Crisis

The Melghat region, a remote tribal area in Maharashtra’s Amravati district, is known for its rugged beauty, tropical teak forests, steep valleys, and the Melghat Tiger Reserve. But this dramatic landscape often betrays its people. During the monsoon, between June and October, the region receives 1,000–2,250 mm of rainfall. However, the water rushes downhill, leaving wells and borewells dry by November. By February, the crisis worsens, and by summer, when temperatures reach 43°C, most water sources disappear entirely.

Manoj Kuwate, a member of Samaj Pragati Sahyog, an NGO working on water and livelihood issues in the region, explains the root of the problem. He says, “Because of the hilly terrain, rainwater is not able to be conserved; it flows away, largely due to the lack of infrastructure like reservoirs and rainwater harvesting systems.”

Manoj Kuwate, a member of Samaj Pragati Sahyog, an NGO working on water and livelihood issues in the region, explains the root of the problem. He says, “Because of the hilly terrain, rainwater is not able to be conserved; it flows away, largely due to the lack of infrastructure like reservoirs and rainwater harvesting systems.”

The Dharni block faces severe water scarcity, and people rely on tankers. We need to conserve more rainwater, build reservoirs, and expand existing infrastructure.” He adds that existing reservoirs are far from sufficient. While desilting work is being carried out in some villages, the Melghat region might still require many more reservoirs to meet the growing demand. 

Despite receiving significant rainfall, the region's natural topography and lack of sustainable infrastructure mean that water security remains elusive. In the Dharni block, a tanker carrying just 1,500 litres of water can cost anywhere between ₹700 and ₹1,000, an impossible price for many tribal families to pay. In villages like Kot and Harisal, it’s common to see water transported by bullock carts as borewells remain dysfunctional. For most residents, tanker water is the only lifeline.

A Patchwork of Promises

Around 1,200 households in the town of Kohana, located 20 kilometres from Jutpani, are forced to rely on a single, distant village well. To meet their needs, the district administration dispatches 15 water tankers each day. These are emptied into dried wells, some as deep as 50–60 feet. Villagers rush with pots and buckets, often climbing into the wells to extract every last drop, an act that is not only laborious but frequently dangerous.

According to data from the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) portal,  92% of villages in Dharni Block are officially connected to tap water. However, this statistic masks a harsh reality, as the water doesn’t flow through for most of the year, especially in the peak summer months, when taps often run dry post monsoon season and the communities are forced to rely on water tankers. In Jutpani village, which is listed as having 100% tap water coverage, most taps stop working precisely when they’re needed the most.

Power supply is erratic, pumps fail to operate, storage tanks remain empty, and piped water systems frequently stop working altogether. “We get only 3 to 4 hours of electricity a day. So, people collect water from ponds or dig shallow pits near dry wells whenever they can,” says Sachin, a local resident.

The Cost of Every Drop

In July 2023, the consequences of water mismanagement turned deadly. Contaminated tap water that had not been treated properly caused a cholera outbreak in the Chikhaldara block of Amaravati district, which left 354 villagers sick and claimed several lives within a week. 

In a region where access to clean water is scarce, villagers are forced to rely on stagnant ponds and open, unprotected sources. Women routinely clear mud from these water sources by hand. The health consequences are devastating: frequent infections, skin diseases, anaemia, and chronic vitamin deficiencies.

The water crisis in Melghat isn’t just a story of dry taps or lack of infrastructure; it’s a story of lost childhoods, overburdened women working themselves to exhaustion, and communities left behind. Despite receiving generous rainfall, the region remains parched due to broken infrastructure and neglect. For villages like Jutpani and people like Kunti, Saroj, Sachin, and more, clean water is still a distant dream. The crisis is decades old, yet solutions remain piecemeal, underfunded, and poorly implemented.

Water is carried home in pots, one exhausting kilometre at a time. Something as basic as regular running water and electricity could make a world of difference, offering these families not just some relief but a shot at a healthier, more dignified life. Until meaningful, sustained solutions are delivered, residents will continue to pay the price of a back-breaking journey, one drop at a time.