In the heart of West Bengal's Purulia district in India, recurrent droughts, soaring temperatures, and erratic rainfall cripple agriculture and livelihoods. With each year, the situation worsens, pushing communities to despair in a relentless battle against nature's whims
In most Purulia regions, women resort to digging small bore wells in dried-up ponds or natural reservoirs for drinking water. After allowing the water to settle, they strain the top layer before filling their buckets—a laborious process borne out of necessity amidst water scarcity. All images by Subrata Biswas