Nearly 200 people living in the Sheri Budruk village, depend on a single well to sustain themselves.
In the face of insurmountable odds, 56-year old Ram Sonawane, a farmer in the Sheri Budruk village in Maharashtra's drought-hit Beed district has all but given up. His single acre field has been lifeless for years now. Added to this, the burden of repaying a Rs 3 lakh loan. All he can earn every month to feed his family of seven is Rs 1,000 as a farm labourer.
"We have suffered heavy losses. For the past four years there has been a drought. If it rains only then can we get water. We don't even get water tankers. We bathe on alternate days," says Mr Sonawane.
Nearly 200 people living in the Sheri Budruk village, depend on a single well to sustain themselves. Every person gets their turn once in four days. The water is dirty and there's barely any.
"We have to manually lift water out of this well. It's tiring, our hands hurt, we can't breathe properly due to exhaustion," said a resident of the village.
The administration claims 175 tankers supply water every day to the district. But with no access to a road, the tankers simply cannot reach the village. Children are sometimes forced to skip school to fetch water.
"It is so difficult to get water that sometimes we need to send our children as well. They get late for school because of this. How will our children study?" Said Usha Sonawane, another resident of Sheri Budruk.
It's just end March and the thought of the scorching summer is terrifying for most. And for that reason, many like Ram Sonawane turn to God, with a prayer on their lips.