Jammu, May 9 -- Rishu Goswami farms six acres of land in Bilawar, a village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Agriculture is his only income. For years, he has watched it rain at the wrong time.

"It no longer rains as it used to," he said. "Either it rains when it is not needed, like during the crop-cutting season, or it does not rain when it is needed. This year, it did not rain when it was needed, but during wheat harvesting, it poured, and I suffered 40% losses."

A reliable water source is what farmers in Kathua need. However, "forget water for irrigation. Many people in the outskirts of the district still walk two kilometres to get drinking water," the 36-year-old said.

Goswami's situation highlights a gap that has persisted...