Women trek kilometres in 45°C heat as water crisis grips Chhotaudepur village

Even as Narmada waters are supplied across large parts of Gujarat through an extensive canal network, more than 200 tribal residents of a village located on the banks of the river in Naswadi taluka are facing an acute drinking water crisis this summer.

Locals of Patuli hamlet in Chhoti Umar village of Chhotaudepur said they were struggling daily for drinking water despite government claims of providing tap water connections under the “Nal Se Jal” scheme.

Villagers alleged that although a water tank and pipeline infrastructure had been constructed in the area at significant cost, not a single drop of water had reached households since the tap connections were installed.

With groundwater levels falling sharply during summer, local hand pumps and borewells have reportedly dried up, leaving the hamlet without any reliable water source.

Locals said women were being forced to walk one to two kilometres in extreme heat to fetch water from distant wells, often carrying containers on their heads.

In several cases, villagers have resorted to digging small pits in the dry bed of the Narmada River to collect seepage water for drinking and household use.

Locals claimed repeated written and verbal complaints had been made to officials of the water supply department, but no concrete action had been taken so far.

The crisis has also severely affected livestock in the tribal village, where many families depend on animal husbandry for livelihood.

Villagers said cattle owners had been forced to leave cows and buffaloes near the riverbanks during summer months so that the animals could survive by drinking river water.

Furthermore, they alleged that despite the severe situation, no senior official had visited the remote village to assess the water shortage on the ground.