Anticipating that water would be accumulated in the well in the night in some amount, people of Barkheda village in Hoshangabad rush to the well in wee hour trying win the race to the well from the other villagers. Seems strange, but this is the fact for the people of Barkheda village Hoshangabad, because they know that if they fell to get water in this duration , they won’t have a single drop of water to quench their thirst the following morning till their neighbours don’t come forward for their help.
The village has got a firing zone even but no water. The villagers have complained to the concerning authorities umpteen times but it could not change anything.
A villager says our village has a military proof range where firing practice goes on for the whole day which causes big problem to the people but even that has not ensured the water supply to the people of here.
The villagers say that recently they had a marriage ceremony in their village in which they bought the water from the other areas like the other essentials.
Villagers here claim that there is sufficient water under the ground, but the hand-pumps, the local authorities have got installed are not working as they are not bored that deeper. And then lack of maintenance also adds to it.
Similar is the condition with wells of the village. People say that had the authorities made a bit more effort, problems could have been solved. Recently, a well was dug under NREGA, but as we are quite familiar with deep rooted problem of the country, rains dragged back all the soil in into the well. The reason to this was the apathetic approach of the authorities who were responsible for its maintenance and were supposed to cement its boundary did never felt the requirement of doing so.
One thing, I would like to mention here. I called the Sarpanch of the village (Rambhau Patel- 9009078226) and informed him about my profession. After initial dilly-dallying, (I am riding bike, please call me later), he promised me that the water crisis would be solved tomorrow. I have said that if the situation will not improve, I will call to the district collector. Let’s see, how true his promise for tomorrow is!!
