30 years on, Melghat villagers putting life on line to fetch water

Time of India

24-05-2025

Amravati: Khadimal and 13 surrounding villages located in the remote tribal belt of Melghat in Amravati district receive significant rainfall during monsoon, suggesting the area is water sufficient throughout the year.
But locals from these villages say they have been suffering water crisis during the summer months, especially from March to May, for their entire life.
The hilly region where these villages are nestled has low groundwater level due to the topography. The water flows downhill, lowering the water table in the hilly areas. Every summer, the water level in the wells hits alarming levels. With wells, bore wells, and streams drying up completely, the villagers including children, women, the elderly, and even the sick spend entire days searching for just one bucket of water.
This water crisis has persisted for over three decades, say locals.
The water tankers deployed by the district administration used to cause scramble for water, often squabbles and fights. Now, the 15 tankers that are supplying water to these villages daily are being emptied into dried wells, many of which are at least 50ft to 60 ft deep. Villagers rush to these wells with pots and buckets, and draw every drop of water in risky, often dangerous, ways.
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The wells become dry in just 10 minutes, causing another agonising wait for the water tankers, say locals.
Social activist Bandu Sane calls it a humanitarian crisis. "Are these people (the district administration) not human? Every year, the govt announces water supply schemes worth crores, but the projects are delayed citing various issues like non-payment to contractors, erratic electricity, and forest department restrictions," said Sane.
Locals like Alka Saldhekar, Madhuri Bethekar and Vijay Sawalkar echo the sentiment. "Our lives have revolved around the struggle for water. From childhood till now, it has only worsened," they say.
The district administration initiated a project worth Rs35 crore in 2022 to bring water to these villages. The works included construction of tanks and laying pipelines to supply water from reservoirs.
As per district collector Saurabh Katiyar, the project being executed by Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran is "90% complete". "By next summer, every home will receive water through taps," he said.
Meanwhile, supply through tankers continues to these parched villages as a stop-gap arrangement.