Mahoba/Banda/Jhansi, April 17 -- There is no escaping the harshness of the midday sun in the semi-arid landscape of Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region.

For hundreds of years, water scarcity and the associated struggles have defined life here.

This is a reality that Ram Sewak, a resident of Karhara village in Mahoba district, and many others like him know only too well.

They yearn for freedom from the region's trials and tribulations. Their aspirations for a better life partially hinge on the Har Ghar Jal Yojana under the Jal Jeevan Mission. But seven years after the scheme's launch, residents of his village are still awaiting the supply of piped water and repair of damaged roads. Indeed, the ground reality in the village mirrors the ta...