Water

Quest for water: Tribals in Gujarat village use traditional methods to end shortage

Some househoulds have started reusing grey water and maintaining kitchen gardens

 
By Vivek Kumar Sah
Published: Monday 21 March 2022

Sustainable drinking water connection would have been a distant dream for the 105 households in Lahan Jhadadar village, Dang district, Gujarat, had it not been for the concerted efforts of the residents. The villagers, mostly members from the Bheel, Warli, Kunbi and Konkani communities, worked in unision with the government department to make this possible. 

The district receives heavy rainfall of about 2,956 millimetres annually. Despite this, the steep slopes of the region have made natural recharge of groundwater very difficult owing to high runoff, said Hemantkumar Balubhai Dhimar, executive engineer, Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO). 

WASMO is a unit of the Gujarat government that looks after water supply facilities in the state’s rural areas. The loss of water due to evaporation is also very high, he added. 

Natural groundwater recharge is also difficult due to the massive Deccan basalt in the area. The district, referred to as “Dand Aranyaka” (bamboo forest) in ancient Indian scriptures, has a history of migration of tribals during peak summers in search of water. Even 20-25 years ago, people used to migrate near the river in search of water during the summer season. 

The villagers of Lahan Jhadadar migrated near a waterbody five-six kilometres away from the village, said Surajbhai Gangabhai Kunwar, a member of the village water sanitation committee. They used to dig a small ditch called Jhara, collect water from the pool and store it in their pots, he added. “The water was so clear that we could drink directly from the pots.”

To find a solution to the water crisis, the Pani Bachao Samiti created in 2002 in the village, started discussing with the Water Resources Department in early 2000. The samiti planned two check dams in River Purna that flows near the village. 

In 2009, with the help of the department, the villagers decided to dig wells on the bank of the river located close to the check dams, said Rajeshbhai Gaikawad, secretary of the Sephu Amba Gram Panchayat that governs this village.

The wells were dug in 2010 and were almost 30 metres deep, added Gaikawad. The check dams effectively recharge the subsurface water in the area, making the seasonal river perennial. The river, in turn, feeds the groundwater, he added. “Hence, we see groundwater at the level of 10-12 metres below ground in the wells throughout the year.” 

The groundwater level drops in summers to around 13-15 metres below ground-level, he added.

But fetching water was still a problem, said Ranjitaben Maneshbhai Pawar, a resident of the village. Women had to carry heavy pots full of water from the wells. The task was especially arduous during the summer months. This motivated them to work towards household connection of potable water, added Ranjitaben Maneshbhai Pawar.

National Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship programme of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (water resources) launched in 2019, came up with the solution for household connection. All 105 households in the village are now receiving water at homes. 

Groundwater from the wells are pumped to the overhead tank in the village and distributed through pipelines. The project was implemented by WASMO and the Pani Samiti operates and maintains the distribution network.

There are a total of 12 members in the samiti, six of whom are women. Every month, the Pani Samiti charges Rs 50 per connection for pipeline maintenance and salary of operators. The samiti also opened a separate bank account for all tap connection-related expenses, added Jayanuben Babubhai Bagul, president of Pani Samiti. WASMO officials visit twice a month to test the water quality. 

The village has taken a step ahead by planning kitchen gardens in a few homes to treat and reuse the greywater coming out of their kitchens and bathrooms. This shows that the village is aware of the need to save water, said Nikunj Bhai Patel, district coordinator, WASMO.

Around 40-50 households have kitchen gardens in their backyard. Vegetables like onion, chilli, brinjal, tomato and others are grown using only organic fertilisers. Sangitaben Ganeshbhai, the woman who started the concept of kitchen garden in the area, said vegetables grown in her 50-square-metre kitchen garden is enough to feed her family throughout the year. 

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