The Daily Water Crisis in Nashik’s Barichivari Village
In Nashik’s drought-prone village, daily survival hinges on early morning treks to fetch water from distant wells
It’s just past 5 in the morning, and the village is still rubbing the sleep from its eyes. But on the dusty path leading out of Borichivari, a group of women—steel pots balanced neatly on their heads—are already on their way.
Their destination? A small, overused water well in the next village. Their goal? Water. Just enough to get through the day.
Borichivari is a quiet village nestled in Peth Taluka of Maharashtra’s Nashik district. From afar, it looks peaceful. But talk to the women here, and you’ll quickly learn that their lives revolve around one unending worry: water. Or more accurately, the lack of it.
They don’t speak in dramatic terms. No one’s tryinIn Maharashtra’s Borichivari village, women rise before dawn to fetch water, turning a basic need into a daily battle for survival.
g to impress. Their sentences are plain, their expressions tired. But the weight of what they’re saying lands heavily.
“Itna paani milta hai bas, ki roti pak jaye aur bartan dhul jaye,” says Savita, holding up a small steel container. “Nahana? Kab ka bhool gaye.”
(We get just enough water to cook and wash dishes. Bathing? We forgot that long ago.)
School-going girls often skip classes to help their mothers. Some carry notebooks in one hand and water pots in the other, hoping to squeeze in a little studying between trips. One girl, Meena, laughs shyly when asked what she wants to be when she grows up.
“Teacher,” she says softly. “Par pehle paani toh mil jaye.”
(A teacher—but first, let us have water.)
And while the men in the village help when they can, it’s the women who carry this load—physically and emotionally. It’s not just about fetching water. It’s about managing it, stretching it, storing it, and praying it lasts.
Local authorities have visited. Promises have been made. But they remain unpredictable. The women wait in long lines under the harsh sun, never sure if today will end with full pots—or empty hands.
And yet, they smile. They share jokes. They scold each other playfully. There’s a quiet strength in that.
This isn’t just a Borichivari story. It’s a Maharashtra story. It’s an India story.
In a country aiming for the moon, there are villages where women still walk hours for a bucket of water.
It’s time we stopped looking away.
The article is authored by Sanjana Singh and Intern from St George’s College Hyderabad
