Tribals in Maharashtra stare at dry days

While Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan are trying to make the water in their reservoirs last through weekly water cuts, tribals from the interiors of the state are facing an acute water crisis. They walk for 1-2 km every day to fetch water from neighbouring rivers and wells.

Sumsim Barela from Devgad village in Jalgaon walks with his wife every morning for over a kilometre to fetch water. "There is no water in our village for the last three months. We travel to a nearby river every day to fetch water," he says. With buckets and handa (pot), Barela and his wife have to make two to three rounds of the river so that their family which includes three kids, have enough water to cook, drink and bath for the day.

Much to their horror, their last resort to quench thirst is drying up. "The river is drying up. All the villagers have to manage with whatever little water we get," he says.

Antibai Mirla from Nimdiya in Jalgaon also goes through a similar ordeal. "We have a well near our village at a distance of half a kilometre, but water in the well is available at a gap of three days. We fill our buckets and utensils and use this water for the next three days till the well fills up again," she says.

These families are somewhat trying to adjust with this water situation till the advent of summer. They are surviving on the tiny amount available to them till their wells and river dry up. "In summer, when the wells and rivers will dry up completely, we will come to the city and do odd jobs. At least we will get water to drink and food to eat," says Barela.