Three years since the launch of Nal Jal Yojna in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhilwar village, 355 families are still accessing water from one tap.
In India, more than 163 million Indians do not have access to safe drinking water. National Rural Drinking Water Programme targets to provide 35% of the rural household with water connection, and 40 liters per person per day. Wherein Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, the problem of water crisis has been going on for a decade now.
Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Nal Jal Yojana in 2015. The scheme promised safe and clean drinking water to every household across the state. Under the scheme, each family is guaranteed three tap water connections.
Three years since the scheme was launched in Dhilwar village, Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, this project is still incomplete. 355 families are using contaminated water for their daily chores. "I have been living here for 10 years. There is no proper drinking water supply. The panchayat installed a tubewell but the motor of the tubewell was taken away by the sarpanch. The pond water is dirty, even pigs and dogs bathe in it, as a result, the residents are taking ill,” says Bhikam, who goes 2 km away from his village to get water from the pond. A community well was marked as a private well, by the Sarpanch (village head) of Dhilwar village. Looking at the water crisis a tubewell was installed four-five years back but that dried as well.
School going children carry their own water bottles from home. “We need water in the school, especially to prepare the mid-day meal. Handpumps don't last very long, two years at the most. The problem has persisted for over a decade now,” says Gyan Singh, from Delwari village.
Community Correspondent Sangeeta, made this video and spoke to Public Health Engineer, Begamganj. But the work on Nal Jal Yojna is still on hold.
Video by Community Correspondent Sangeeta Thakur
Article by Grace Jolliffe, a member of the VV editorial team
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