Some familiar with history might have heard about the `Battle of Rakshasbhuvan`. It was a battle that took place at Godavari in Maharashtra at a place called Geroi. The battle that took place between Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas in 1763 has resulted in a decisive victory for Marathas. Now the people at Geroi are facing another battle. But this time, the enemy is none other than the drought. Beed district which comprises Geroi is one of the worst hit areas in Maharashtra that is facing drought for third consecutive year. The drought is so severe that, district administration has to provide the citizens with more than 800 tankers to satisfy their thirst.

But what if someone dies in the drought? People in Beed go to the Godavari river at Geroi to perform final rituals. But the river has so dried that no one could take a holy dip into it. So the relatives of the dead had to arrange for the tankers to called to the basin. Holy baths of the relatives can now be possible with the help of tankers. And that’s not the end of the agony of relatives who has just lost their beloved. They won’t find water to feed the relatives who come to take part in the death ceremonies. And of course the tankers should again be called for! So! It’s not just life that got harsh in parched Maharashtra, even a death could be a costly affair.