The scorching heat and the search for water can make you do many things. In front of thirst, nothing is visible, be it a well, a pond or a river. If something is visible, it is a drop of water, which is needed by both humans and animals. In Kanakatta village of Saradhu Panchayat under Tandwa block of Chatra district of Jharkhand, both humans and animals are forced to drink water from the same ghat.
The water has become contaminated due to animals drinking it
The population of Kanakatta village is about three hundred, but even after 77 years of independence, the ray of development has not reached this village. There is no provision of pure drinking water for the people of this village nor other basic things like electricity. There are also three wells in this village, which have dried up in this scorching heat. In such a situation, the problem of drinking water has arisen in front of the villagers. After the well dried up, the villagers have made an alternative arrangement for drinking water by digging a pit in the drain near the village. Apart from the people of the village, animals and birds also drink water from this pit. The water here has become contaminated due to animals drinking water, in such a situation, the villagers make arrangements for drinking water by digging a well at the end of the same pit.
‘Sewer water saves lives in extreme heat’
The women of the village say that water is the most basic problem in the village. The government may talk about providing tap water to every house, but the reality is something else. The drain of the village is better than the government’s false promises, which are not based on lies like the leaders, but are keeping us alive by quenching our thirst. The women say that the drain water is contaminated, but it saves our lives in the scorching heat. Children and the elderly are suffering from many diseases due to drinking contaminated water. Even after this, we are forced to drink contaminated water, because the distance from here to another village is about two kilometers.
‘After taking votes, leaders turn their eyes away’
The people of the village say that Kanakatta village is displaced and affected by Asia’s largest coal project Magadh. The distance of the village from the project area is just one kilometer. In such a situation, basic facilities including drinking water, health, roads and education are provided in the displaced and affected villages through CCL’s CSR fund, but it is the misfortune of this village that even the CCL management has not turned its merciful eyes towards the people of this village till now. People struggling with basic facilities say that even though CCL’s CSR fund proves to be beneficial for other villages, it is useless for us. The villagers say that even the leaders who ask for votes in the elections turn their eyes away from us after taking votes.
The Block BDO and CCL management have been informed about the drinking water problem of the villagers in this scorching heat. Now it remains to be seen how soon the BDO and CCL officials take action and provide relief to the villagers from the drinking water problem and give them a happy life. (With IANS inputs)
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