Khadial village, which has a population of about 1,500 is purely dependent on water tankers for supply. The local administration sends in tankers twice a day, but it has proved ineffective in tackling the village’s water crisis
Representational image. PTI
The scorching heat in Maharashtra has led to several villages in the Melghat region facing acute water shortages. People in many villages have been risking their lives to get water. A video from Khadial village in Melghat shows people doing everything they can to get just one bucket of water.
The village, which has a population of about 1,500 is purely dependent on water tankers for supply. The local administration sends in tankers twice a day, but it has proved ineffective in tackling the village’s water crisis. The video shows a tanker coming to the village and emptying its water stock into a well. As soon as the tanker arrives, villagers throng the well and jostle to get a potful of water.
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A villager stated that water is supplied to Khadial through two tankers that pour water into dry wells. “People risk their lives to draw water from wells. Diseases are increasing after drinking dirty water. If a person gets sick, there is no road to take them to the hospital” the villager added.
In Khadimal village, the water sent in by the tanker gets over in about half an hour, leaving several people without water. These villages then have to walk barefoot in the sweltering heat to get water from a spring about three km away.
As per a PTI report, the daily struggle for water has adversely impacted both villagers and livestock. Even cattle and livestock have to remain thirsty at times, the villagers stated. A resident, Ram Bethekar, claimed the village sarpanch rarely visits the place to address their troubles.
Bethekar also added that villagers are demanding a dam nearby to solve the issue of water scarcity.
Water scarcity is a constant problem in Khadimal village. The issue starts in November, according to locals, and turns acute by February. The four wells in the village have dried up long ago. A borewell is also lying defunct.