Not jobs, not dowry: Why men in this UP village are still unmarried
Every morning in this village in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, the day begins not with work, school or farming, but with a race for water
Every morning in this village in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, the day begins not with work, school or farming, but with a race for water. Children clutch plastic containers, the elderly wait patiently under the blazing sun and women spend hours carrying buckets back home. And for dozens of young men in Mudhara, the water crisis has become something else entirely — the reason they remain unmarried. Read Full Story Mudhara village presents a stark picture of life in Bundelkhand's parched landscape. Despite government claims of piped water reaching every household, villagers have alleged that not a single drop has flowed from taps installed under a multi-crore drinking water scheme. The consequences, however, are being felt far beyond thirst. "There are around 40 men of marriageable age in the village. But no one wants to marry their daughters here because there is no water," said a villager. For families searching for brides, the conversation often ends the moment prospective in-laws learn about Mudhara's water woes. "They tell us, 'How much water will our daughter have to carry if she comes to your village?'" said an elderly villager. "People openly say they don't want to marry their daughters into a village that doesn't have drinking water." CRORES SPENT, EMPTY TAPS Under the Namami Gange project, pipelines were laid, and a water tank was installed in the village more than two years ago.
Villagers have said that officials conducted trial runs, but the promised water supply never materialised. Today, the infrastructure stands as a reminder of unfulfilled promises. "They built a tank and laid pipelines. Water came during testing once, and then it stopped. Since then, not a single drop has reached our homes," a local said. The village, home to more than 2,000 people, survives on just three hand pumps and a well located near a temple. Water from two of the hand pumps is reportedly saline and barely fit for consumption. That leaves a single functioning hand pump outside the village as the primary source of drinking water. Throughout the day, long queues form around it. Women, children and elderly residents wait their turn, often spending hours collecting enough water for basic household needs. A CHILDHOOD SPENT CARRYING WATER For some women in the village, fetching water has become a lifelong routine. "Our lives have gone by carrying water," one of them said. The burden is now falling on the next generation. Children often help transport water before and after school, affecting both their studies and daily routines. "Our daughters and daughters-in-law spend hours carrying water instead of studying or doing other work. Sometimes we have to make multiple trips just to cook food for the family," a resident said.
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