I have kept my books”: How water scarcity is forcing girls out of school in Maharashtra, India

In the drought-prone villages of Maharashtra's Nashik district, water crisis is a daily affair for the over 2 million population of this district of Maharashtra state. Last year newspapers ran stories on the ordeal both during the summer and monsoon. "Over 3, 500, 000 people in 669 villages across four districts of the Nashik division are facing a severe drinking water crisis, " one of the major newspapers wrote in one of its leads. This, however, is not only the story of Nashik, but villages across India are grappling with it. While people face a number of issues due to the water crisis, the most affected though in the region are young girls who have to leave studies mid-way owing to inadequate water in their area. Water scarcity has become a force that reshapes childhood, education, and gender roles. As wells dry up and rainfall grows increasingly erratic, families must walk longer distances to access water. In many households, this responsibility falls on girls. This photo story documents how the daily task of fetching water is pushing adolescent girls out of school. Each morning, girls like Sangita Santosh and Ravita walk several kilometers carrying heavy containers, often returning home after classes have already begun. Over time, irregular attendance turns into dropout. For many families facing economic pressure, education becomes secondary to survival. The project documents girls who have left school but some of whom continue to hold onto their books with hope. Classrooms sit half-empty during dry months, while paths to distant water sources fill with young girls balancing steel pots on their heads. Teachers and local activists describe a steady decline in girls' attendance, especially during peak water shortages. Some families, unable to cope, begin considering early marriage. Others accept that education is a luxury they can no longer afford. This story centers on resilience and dignity. It observes how girls navigate loss of schooling while still imagining a different future. The photographs aim to make visible the everyday consequences of climate stress on education, showing how a lack of water quietly reshapes lives long before it becomes a headline. This project is part of my ongoing work documenting how environmental change intersects with gender and inequality in rural India, and how girls are often the first to bear its cost.