Ruptly
"Residents in parts of Gujarat's Valsad in India are being forced to climb down dry wells to collect small amounts of seepage water, as an intense heatwave and prolonged dry conditions leave local water sources depleted. Footage captured in the village of Moti Palsan on Saturday shows locals descending into narrow wells and children lowering their buckets to collect muddy waters. Villagers in Moti Palsan say most wells in the area have dried up, pushing around 1,200 residents into risky daily efforts to retrieve drinking water from deep, unstable structures. "There is a severe water shortage here, so we have to climb down and collect water from below," said resident Kishan Bhai. "This is the water we use for drinking at home." "There is a borewell, but it keeps drying up. Another one has water, but it's about two kilometres away. There are three or four wells in the area, but they also run dry, just like the borewells," he explained. Local accounts describe growing fear around the dangerous practice of climbing into wells, particularly as structural stability becomes uncertain with peak summer heat. "I'm afraid every time I climb down to collect water, but we have no choice because we need it for drinking," Bhai said. After videos of the situation in Valsad circulated online, local authorities have reportedly intervened and began restoring pipeline supply to affected areas. "We need a water supply for our homes. Pipeline work started the day before yesterday, but some work is still remaining," Bhai commented. Officials have also acknowledged ongoing repairs to the region's water infrastructure, while tanker deliveries have been arranged on alternate days as a temporary measure. The crisis comes despite the rollout of the Rs 586 crore Astrol Group Water Supply Scheme, which aimed to provide piped water connections across remote settlements. However, residents say taps have remained dry for long periods, leaving them dependent on unsafe manual collection methods. Authorities attribute the disruption to technical faults, saying full restoration work is underway."
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