By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Bihar/Jharkhand: Every summer, Mohammed Raket Miyan, 40 from Village Gordhia in Gaya District of Bihar has no choice but to migrate from his village to another for water. As summer approaches, his village, struggles for water to even drink, forget farming or cattle rearing. The water in wells dries up like it never existed.
“Our main source of water is the wells, but they dry up in summers, forcing us to migrate to our relatives’ place which is at 6 kms distance from Gordhia. It is very frustrating to migrate and leave our house, but at the end life is all about survival,” said Raket Miyan.
Every village in Gaya and Chatra, the bordering districts of Bihar and Jharkhand has a different story to tell, but a common grief of treacherous summer drying up their water resources.
Take the case of Nazirun Bibi, 35 from Sherghati (Imnabad) from Gaya District of Bihar. Bibi house is in between two mountains with no source of water nearby; not even a well.
Every day she walks 2.5 kms one way to get a pot of water for her family of five. She takes two such journeys every day, thus spending most of her day in collecting water.
“These journeys are very atrocious. In summer, travelling such a distance makes me unconscious at times. Sometimes, risks are quite high because in late evening there are chances of getting mauled by wild animals, but it’s all about water, the basic necessity of life. For us, it’s like dying this way or that way,” says Bibi.
Now, there is something to cheer both for Raket and Bibi, as their water woes have ended. The US based Indian Muslims Relief and Charities have installed hand pumps through ring boring in their villages.
Raket hasn’t migrated this summer and is living happily in his village, Gordhia, whereas Bibi collects water from hand pump installed at 15 meters from his house. Now, she spends most of her day better in household chores and rearing her cattle. More importantly, she is feeling healthier than before and her joint pains have subsided.
India is presently reeling under the scorching heat ever to be witnessed in decades. The rise in temperatures have left water sources dried leading many farmers to commit suicides or forcing families to migrate to the places where water is available.
The bordering districts of Bihar and Jharkhand are also facing serious water crisis. Responding immediately to the need of water in worst hit villages, Indian Muslim Relief and Charities have installed 24 hand pumps via ring boring within first 20 days of the May, 2016.
Four hand pumps were installed in village Sherghati, three in village Kuinbar, and one each in Jamuna, Belha Zaribchak, Jhikatiya and Gordhia villages of Gaya Distirct in Bihar. Whereas five hand pumps were installed in Village Humajaan, four in village Gajwa, two each in Bahri and one in Sarcha villages of district Chatra in Jaharkhand.
The hand pumps have brought relief to hundreds of families living in these eleven villages.
“Many times we tried to search for water in ground by doing hand boring. But water was 100 to 200 meters below the surface and we couldn’t afford ring boring for that. But now, these good people have come to our rescue and have solved our water woes. This isn’t the first time they are helping us. They also help us in winters with blankets and clothes,” said Mohan Yadav from Village Siba in Gaya district of Bihar.
IMRC has also installed 50 hand pumps since January 2016 in three districts of Marathwada viz. Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani whereas some other water projects are already under process.
Since the initiation of IMRC water project in India in 2013, it has build and installed more than 400 bore wells and hand pumps across six Indian states.
In 2013, IMRC built 54 water wells and 40 hand pumps; in 2014, 57 bore wells and 75 hand pumps whereas in 2015 the number touched 200. This year, the number has already crossed 100.