Villagers in Bihar Battle Groundwater Crisis. Is Anyone Listening?

The villagers are tired of facing water shortage.

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas

Villages in Bihar are facing an acute groundwater crisis, which is expected to get worse in summers.

In our village, the motor used to run 30 feet underground, we used to get water through the tubewell attached, around one or two for the entire village. Now, given the population of the village, there is a hand pump behind every two houses.

Dharamveer Bharti, Local

Sarpanch of Rupaspur, Dolly said that if the water level from two to three years ago is compared to status now, there is a difference of 60 to 70 feet, and it is only getting worse.

One of the obvious reasons behind this acute shortage is the lack of rain, but there are other reason too.

According to Dharamveer, water wasted in homes earlier used to flow into the fields, thereby recharging the water basin. In nearby villages, ponds and lakes are drying up and water bodies are deteriorating, either through appropriation or development projects like highways.

With lack of groundwater, how do the people of Rupaspur fulfil their water needs?

Every morning, there’s a truck that comes with with boxes of water. Everyone takes one each, and pays Rs 100 or 200 monthly, because water here is neither clean nor readily available.

Smitha Parmar, Social Activist

The villagers are upset that the government has not done enough to ensure that the crisis is resolved.

The ruling government should raise awareness (about water scarcity) that reaches national, local, and grassroots levels.

Anand Kumar Agarwal, Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, Bihar