The villagers were forced to use ropes to climb the well, a dangerous feat that puts their lives at risk.
“We have three wells, but they are completely dependent on the rain. Supply continues until January or February,” said the village deputy Salpangch.
He said locals had to walk 2 to 3 km to get water, while those who could not get travelling out 200 liter barrels of Rs 60.
Nikule said work under Jal Jeevan’s mission had begun, but stopped halfway.
Jal Jeevan Mission is a central program designed to provide water to all rural households nationwide through separate Tap Connections. The water crisis in the village also affected the villagers’ personal lives. “No one wants his daughter to marry a man in the village. Many men, even in their thirties, were unmarried due to water shortages,” Nikule said.
Chandrabai Bhoir (61) echoed the suffering, “We walked for several kilometers in the stuffy heat just to drink two cans of water. The well water was dirty and the children got sick after eating it. We had to fall into order. We had to go into the boat to fill the boat.
Villagers who own livestock must buy water to keep the animals alive.
Dr. Arjun Gunda, other CEO of Nashik Zilla Parishad, acknowledged the seriousness of the crisis.
“There is a shortage of water in the Kubal Gram panchayat due to the drop in the water level in the well. Panchayat has addressed this issue by starting supply of tankers. Under the Jal Jeevan mission, the drinking water supply programme has approved Borichi Bari’s drinking water supply plan, and approved a new location for Borichi Bari. A new territory was supplied in the summer.
When asked about people risking their lives by getting out of the car, he said water in a particular well cannot be drunk.
“This good well is not for drinking water. It’s just that some people are trying to destroy the image of the government. But the efforts are in full swing and residents will soon be able to get into clean drinking water through the Jal Jeevan program.”
