Saptari, March 30 -- A Musahar settlement with 90 families in ward 5 of Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality, Saptari, has an acute shortage of drinking water. From drinking water to bathing and washing utensils, the entire community depends on a single tube well.

The locals of the impoverished Dalit community are hardest hit by the water crisis mostly in the dry season. "Every morning, we have to stand in line just to wash our faces and fill water," said Somindra Devi Sada, 38. "We have been living with the crisis for years. Who cares about the problems of people like us? The entire Dalit community in this settlement has no option but to rely on this one tube well."

While taking turns to fill water and wash dishes is manageable, bathing rem...