Many men in those villages are marrying for second and few for the third time, not to quench their physical intimacies, but the dire need of water forces them to tie the knot time and again.

Sakharam Bhagat, 66, of Denganmal village now has three wives, two of whom he married only to make sure his household has water to drink and cook. While his second wife ailed and unable to fetch water, he without any delay married another woman. Many people like Sakharam Bhagat are marrying multiple times just for the sake of drinking water, and the peculiar thing here is they are not feeling bad about it.

"It is not easy to have a big family when there is no water,” defends Namdeo, another villager who has two wives.

In Maharashtra’s Denganmal Village, one has to walk for several Kilometers in scorching heat in order to fetch drinking water.  Same is the case in 19,000 villages of rural India, which has either low water levels or none at all.

Though the custom of “water wives” is very much exists in hundreds of villages in India since long, it came into the limelight only in recent times. 

On one hand, PM Modi’s pet project “Make in India” is getting attention from every nook and corner of the world. On the other hand, many villages in rural India are still sweating for their basic needs.

Mr. Namo for the time being, please ignore your “Beti Padhao and Beti Bachao” and care about the betis existing.

- Manohar