LUCKNOW: It’s a dream come true for people in Bundelkhand that they can now drink water at home. There are countless stories of hunger, poverty and suffering in the region related to water scarcity.Over the years, the image of a woman carrying a pot of water on her head from afar has become an icon of the Bundelkhand region.Women here have endured a water crisis for decades. They trekked long distances to remote wells and queued at hand pumps to get water. But all that is now history. Now, from a distance, the water tank looks like a flowing stream of hope.This scene in Bundelkhand can mesmerize anyone. A woman arranges her veil and fills a bucket of water from a tap outside her house at Marwari Gram Panchayat in Panwari block of Mahoba, while a six-year-old child stands nearby with a glass in her hand. The look of happiness on the woman’s face spoke volumes about how much this meant to her.When asked, she shyly replied: “Brother, a big crisis has been lifted.” Her enthusiasm was evident when asked whether water was being supplied regularly. “Yeah, why not. It comes every day.”When asked who has a tap water pipe, the village chief standing nearby explained in detail: “Everyone in the village has one. Water comes twice a day. One tap water pipe is public, and anyone passing by can drink water.”Speaking of Mahoba, the people here have long suffered greatly due to lack of water. There was a time when water had to be supplied by water train. People travel thousands of miles just to fill a pot of water. Now, the tank, visible from a distance, tells a whole new story.Under the leadership of Jal Jeevan Mission, pipe connections have been provided to over 1.12 lakh households in the district through five projects. However, this large-scale plan is not easy to take shape. Approximately 1,131 kilometers of roads were damaged during the construction period. While the restoration work was being carried out, people did experience some inconveniences.Arshad, who hails from Mahoba, said that whenever planning begins, some inconvenience is inevitable but “Har Ghar Nal” has become a big hope for the region.In Chitrakoot, the water problem of around 1.25 lakh people in Pahadi, Ramnagar and Manikpur development areas has been solved under the Silauta Gram Mustakil Group scheme. The hardship of the residents of Manikpur can be understood as they previously had to fetch water from nearly a kilometer away.Due to this problem, people are often reluctant to marry off their daughters. For them, this water means life itself and the future of their children.The plan plans a total of 576 kilometers of pipelines, of which 572 kilometers have been laid. There are 17 high-level water tanks that draw water from the water treatment plant on a daily basis. Water is drawn from the Yamuna river, treated in factories, lifted into tanks and then supplied to people’s homes.smt. Balhat village chief Rajjan Devi became emotional while talking about the plan. “We are grateful to the Yogi Modi government for the arrangements that have been made to protect our children from diseases. Our children can now bathe and go to school. They have naturally developed a sense of cleanliness,” she said.Along with Silauta, Raipura and Chandi Bangar, Chitrakoot is also implementing a collective drinking water scheme. These plans represent a stream of hope never imagined.Raipura Gram Samuh Peyjal Yojana aims to provide piped water to 19,570 households. Water taps have been installed in all these houses and water supply has started in 60 revenue villages.Chunbad Yadav, a resident of Madna village who is involved in the scheme, said one major problem has been solved. In the early days, even daily water use was difficult to arrange, and water for livestock was even more impossible. Now they don’t have to worry anymore.It may seem like just a tap, but for Bundelkander, it’s a blessing. It represents the realization of the resolve of the mission undertaken by the Modi-Yogi government.In Jhansi district, the Jal Jeevan Mission pipeline has even reached the last mile villages of Bada village, Chirgaon and Bangra.An emotional Kamta Prasad, 65, a resident of Gairaha Gram Panchayat in Bangra block, said his eyes had been longing to see this day.Shagun, a married woman from this village far away from the district government, said, “She used to have to walk half a kilometer outside the village to get water, and the situation became extremely difficult during the rainy season.”In Pachwara Gram Panchayat in Bhangra block, when Ragini came here as a daughter-in-law, she had to fetch water from a government hand pump. Today, she proudly turns on the tap to show people how clean the water is.The daughter-in-law of a poor family is happy that her husband Mukesh Kumar, a daily wage labourer, does not have to pay even a single rupee for piped water connection.Village chief Akhilesh Rawat said, “About 1,000 connections have been provided in his village”. In this Dalit-dominated village, the Arogya Mandir built during the Yogi government also has piped water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission, ensuring clean drinking water for patients and caregivers. Public school students now also have access to clean water.Ranvijay Singh, executive engineer of Jal Jeevan Mission, said the scheme covers 42 villages and provides 11,437 connections.Earlier, the mere mention of Banda conjured up thoughts of drought, water shortage and thirst. Currently, through the Amlikaur drinking water project and Khatan drinking water project, water supply has been provided to 544 villages and 82,266 households.Pardeshi, a resident of Bandha Purwa village in Badokhar Khurd block, said, “Earlier they struggled for water, but now they get clean water at home”.Vimal Kumar Verma, executive engineer of Jal Nigam, said, “The roads dug for laying pipelines have also been repaired”.In Hamirpur district, two drinking water projects are also under way through which piped water will be supplied to 320 households in 322 villages. For people here, this program will play a very important role in changing their daily lives.
