In the lush and verdant landscapes of Meghalaya, the daily routine of rural women began with a trek. The paths are steep and arduous, winding through hilly landscapes where the women balance heavy aluminium pots on their heads and waist.

Filled with water from distant streams, women were required to trek up to one kilometre each way. This daunting task must be completed not once, but twice daily — to secure water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Sometimes, even while braving illness and menstruation. Despite feeling weak, dizzy, or experiencing pain, women must participate in this daily ritual, as water is too vital a resource to forego.

The time spent collecting water left women with little opportunity for education, leisure, or other productive activities.

Safety is another concern. Women travel in groups to avoid potential threats, both human and environmental, while navigating these remote paths. Each journey is undertaken out of sheer necessity, not choice.

Surprisingly, such was the situation of Kyrdemkhla village which is located close to Mawsynram – renowned as the wettest place on Earth, receiving an average annual rainfall of over 11,871 mm.

The Integrated Basin Development and Livelihoods Promotion Programme (IBDLP), a flagship livelihood program of the Meghalaya government mentions that “Meghalaya grapples with the irony of scarcity amidst plenty. The rainfall is only for 6-8 months in a year, leaving the dry months with lots of water scarcity problems. Due to the distinct topographical and geomorphological conditions of the state, there is high surface run off to the neighbouring plains very quickly.”

© The Better India