India, May 3 -- Shahapur taluka in Thane district is well-known for dams like Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Tansa and Madhya Vaitarna, which supply water to homes and industries across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The taluka receives abundant rainfall during the monsoon - last year, it measured around 3,500-4,000 ml, among the highest in the state - and several big rivers such as Bhatsa and Kalu flow through it.

Yet, like every other year, 126 out of 148 villages in the taluka have been facing acute water shortage this summer. Women from these villages spend hours to fetch the water from rivers, tanks and wells, often walking 2-3 km under the hot sun with infants and children in tow. Residential projects in the area have also not receive...