Barmer:
For many parts of India it's been a cruel summer so far. But in Rajasthan's Barmer, water is treated like a precious commodity and shared with only those from the same caste.
It's surprising, but the reality is that in many villages in Barmer, water has been divided on the lines of caste and community. Each community has its own storage tank, which is kept under lock and key, while the well is under constant vigil. A person from one caste cannot drink water under locks and chains of another caste. If anyone tries to do this, they are punished.
"There is only one well in the village. In order to use the water from it, each community draws water from its well and locks it so that the other castes and communities cannot use it," said Ayub Khan, a villager.
The level of water in this well has gone down so much that it is very difficult to draw water from it. Division of the water from the well happens every four days, while there is only a set amount of water that a community can use. The villagers are not permitted to bathe more than once a week.
"There is a shortage of water in the areas adjoining the border. There are no other provisions, this caste-based division of water has been happening for many years," said a villager Durg Singh.
While people here may ask for fewer monetary loans, water is definitely borrowed. And if the water loan is not repaid the borrower has to go thirsty for many days.