Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): Amid the scorching summer heat, several villages in the Barwani district here are facing acute water shortages, forcing residents to step down into wells and walk long distances in the hilly terrain barefoot to fetch just a potful of water.
Despite claims of upliftment and development by both the central and state governments, Bhadal and Sagbara under Semlet gram panchayat of Pati development block, continue to grapple with severe water scarcity. The situation has prompted villagers to embark on arduous journeys of 3-4 kilometers daily to fetch water from pits and ponds.
Residents expressed deep concern over the ongoing struggle for access to clean drinking water. Resident Rup Singh highlighted how the lack of basic facilities, including inadequate hand pumps and wells, has left villagers at the mercy of distant water sources. Girubai, another villager, recounted the challenging ordeal faced by women who carry water vessels on their heads along hilly and unpaved roads. This ordeal not only affects human lives but also takes a toll on animals like donkeys and mules, which are relied upon to transport water.
Despite repeated appeals to local authorities, including Sarpanch, former cabinet minister Prem Singh Patel and Rajya Sabha MP, villagers left with no avail. Mamta from Sagbara highlighted how the water crisis disrupts daily life, forcing children to miss school as they assist in water-fetching duties. In response, Barwani SDM Bhupendra Rawat stressed past efforts to address water scarcity through borewells and assured raise the issue with the public health engineering (PHE) department and the relevant panchayat for further assistance. Rawat assured that investigations would be conducted, and additional borewells may be drilled if necessary to alleviate the water crisis in these areas.
