In the lanes of Cement Colony, YM Shalla, Chickpet and the alleys of Banashankari in Bengaluru, the day often begins with a steely purposefulness.

“Around 11 am, water starts coming, and for the next two hours, until about 1 pm, I’m usually stuck there,” said Swati, a girl who lives in this neighbourhood. “Sometimes I even miss my breakfast and end up eating much later.”

Plastic buckets, steel pots are water bottles are carefully lined up in anticipation. When the water finally arrives from the municipal pipe, life reorganises itself around its slow, uncertain flow.

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Across these localities, there are many lanes, On any given day, water may come to one lane but not another. Even where it does arrive, the flow is often weak. Residents use small motors to draw and store what they can, working quickly, helping each other and making sure nothing is wasted.

The water is mostly stored in blue drums outside each home. Households contribute a nominal fee each month for this shared provision. Even homes with individual pipeline connections do not always receive water directly, making shared access points and coordination essential.

Within these homes, women and girls play a central role in managing water for the household. They stand in queues, carry and store water, and allocate it thoughtfully for cooking, cleaning, washing and bathing. Girls move between schoolwork and these responsibilities, learning early on how to navigate and sustain daily life with limited resources.

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These are the communities that keep the city running. Many residents are informal waste pickers – sorting, collecting and recycling what the city discards, contributing quietly but critical to urban health. Their work is essential, even if often unrecognised. Still, equitable access to water remains out of reach.

This photo story is told through the eyes of young people from these neighbourhoods, trained in photography by the not-for-profit organisation Hasiru Dala in partnership with Peoples Photographers Collective, to document their own worlds. Their images capture the routines around water, and the resilience within their communities.

This year, World Water Day on March 22 is being marked with the theme “Where water flows, equality grows!”

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These images are a reminder that water is deeply tied to gender, labour and justice. They emphasise that the leadership and voices of girls and women are essential for solving the water crisis.

Women collect water from hoses connected to the main pipes during the supply hours, storing it in containers to last until the next supply. Credit: Gokul Raj
Low-power motors are used to draw water that is shared by several households. The flow of water is weak, so it takes a long time to fill each container. Credit: Gokul Raj
Women are primarily responsible for collecting water for households. Credit: Gokul Raj
These lanes are where everyday tasks unfold – cooking, cleaning, collecting and storing water, washing, drying and sorting waste. They have been built over drainage channels. During the monsoons, they often flood. Credit: Anupallavi
Water is stored in any container that is available, most commonly repurposed paint buckets. These buckets often come with lids or compatible with other covers, making it easier for residents to keep the stored water clean and secure. Credit: Mohan
Blue drums used for water storage are a common sight in low-income settlements in Bangalore. Credit: Gokul Raj
Water is essential to keep a kitchen functioning. Credit: Keerthana
Even in homes with individual pipeline connections, the irregular water supply means that blue storage drums are a common sight. Credit: Keerthana
Water is stored for a range of household needs. Credit: Anushek

Images: Gokul, Keerthana, Mohan, Anupallavi - Youth Photography Trainees from Cement Colony, YM Shalla & Banashankari, Bangalore.

Photo curation and mentorship: Palanikumar, Founder, Peoples Photographers Collective.

Text: Anupriya, Hasiru Dala.