Villages in CM’s district struggling for every drop

Nagpur: It is only Marathwada region in the state that is in the news for water scarcity. Though the condition is not as bad as Marathwada villages, there are some hamlets in Nagpur district that are facing water shortage. These villages are not very far from the city, where chief minister DevendraFadnavis is one of the MLAs. The problem in these villages is not new and exists since a very long time.
Kalarsukli in Hingna taluka is one such village. The four wells in the village have dried up and residents have to bring water from a well, which is some 3km from the village. Sarpanch Anita Umre said the administration was not sending any tanker to the village in spite of the water scarcity.
“The people who don’t have bullock carts are having a very difficult time. Only 20% residents of our village have bullock carts. The rest have to carry water on their heads for a long distance. Moreover, we have to draw water at wee hours because after that the water gets muddy. Imagine how women would be carrying heavy load home through the bushes in darkness,” Umre told TOI.
Another Kalarsukli resident Sahebrao Raut said that this well would dry up soon. “We will then have to go to another well, which is farther from the village inside the jungle. The government must start sending tankers immediately. The taps have gone dry from March,” he further said.
Another villager Gautam Wairagade said that a borewell was the only long-term solution. “However, it is entangled in red tape and we are not getting a sanction from collector office,” he added.
Degma Khurd, which lies some 10km from Kalarsukli, is now in a better position. A few days ago reporters from a Marathi television channel had highlighted the water scarcity in the village and the Hingna tehsildar reacted by sending tankers to the village. Before that its condition was no better than Kalarsukli.
However, some villagers say that the water supplied by tankers is inadequate. Vanita Uke said that the water discharged by the tanker into a well was used up by those residing near it. “Others have to buy water from a private tanker owner Pandhari Karpase. Our family buys a drum for Rs150 every day. We are poor people and this cost is too much for us. The only solution is a bore well but it is stuck due to apathy of village officials as well as that of their higher ups,” she said.
Ashok Khade, another resident, said that many people have left the village for nearby hamlets with their animals due to water scarcity. “Some people have sold their cattle due to this problem. The educated ones have taken jobs elsewhere,” he said.
No solution in sight
* Four wells in Kalarsukli have dried up. Residents fetch water from a well, around 3km from the village
* According to Kalarsukli sarpanch, administration not sending any tanker to the village
* Collector office yet to give sanction for borewell
* Villagers from Degma Khurd claim water supplied by tankers is inadequate
* Tanker water released in wells is used by those residing nearby, leaving little for others