Drought beaters -Jal women from Bundelkhand
Started with Lalitpur..
starting of well, which villagers made fun but the trio decoded water..
We have everything and they have nothing still we yearn for more...
I start with this, we wake in the morning with AC cooled rooms and fully power packed bedrooms and in our washrooms comes , fresh water in the taps. Imagine a scene where you have no water , no electricity and situation of drought . .. What you will do ? PANIC for sure..
ARISE OF JAL SAHELIS OF BUNDELKHAND
Long treks for water
Such situation arise in the region of Bundelkhand, where the drought crisis is severe from past many years and it also effecting the lives of many villages. Women have to go for long treks, for search for water with clay pots on their heads, they don't have electricity or any other means .
Imarti Pal, was one of the women from the folk , who used to carry pitcher on her head and one on her hip and trek long for the water search. One day she decided , apart from trekking so long , 12 kilometre for the search of water better take the matter in her own hands, moreover the trek she took was highly inhospitable.
It was in the district of Lalitpur, village Motho, she lived and she decided to dug her own well, to satisfy the third of water for her and for her villagers too. She didn't had that much support from her family and her husband said that this is bit over ambitious project and other villagers made fun of her.
She was supported by two other women , rest all were making fun of her but they were determined to bring water to their village Motho. It was not an easy task , they have took heavy boulders on their heads to dig a pit in Earth and look for water.
TASK WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF HER , BUT IMARTI DID'NT STOPPED
After three months, they hit miracle, means water , it was miraculous and the villagers and the upper caste people , who were making fun of the trio came ahead with the lending hand. All the community members, men and women who initially ignored , came ahead and offered support.
Now, the village has made a remarkable recovery from the drought hit to water sufficient village, now they have three rain water harvesting check dams and half a dozen hand pumps.
This remarkable village also has the support of the NGO , Samaj Seva Sansthan , which has created a group of 300 jail sahelis, which keeps check on the rain water harvesting check dams, dig wells , install hand pumps and adopt water conservation practices across 150 villages of the drought hit Bundelkhand region.
Eighteen year old Anjana Kushwaha, recalls, how she has wake up at 4 a.m. in the morning to fetch water for needs of the family but now , the hand pump is at their doorstep, so she can go to school on time and also has time to study.
FIRST TIME IN YEARS VILLAGES, NOW GROWS WHEAT, SESAME SEEDS AND PEANUTS
No more farmers suicide in this village as the well and the rain water harvesting provides villagers to grow vegetables and various crops, this enables them to sustain , which was impossible previously.
NO WATER FOR 63 MILLION RURAL INDIANS
According to the report submitted by Water Aid Report in 2017 , there is no water for more than 63 million villagers. That is almost population of UK, Sydney and New York , see the transformation till now of our rural villagers.
But village like Motho and women like Imarti Pal , sets living example that one can always fight odds and survive.
To all women , who worked endlessly in the drought eradication of Bundelkhand region, a big salute..
Please spread this featured report as more and more people should be aware of this situation and the fighting spirit ..
This article is curated by Kartika Sharma, who salutes efforts of Imarti Pal and her trio , which stopped the farmer's suicide and drought with their intelligence and handwork.. More such inspirational stories are on the way..
