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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

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

-Down to Earth

Some househoulds have started reusing grey water and maintaining kitchen gardens

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.”

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