Melghat (“the meeting of ghats”), surrounded by steep cliffs and boulders, is situated on the hilly ranges of Amravati district in Maharashtra. One of its villages, Bibamal, which lies some 20 km. distant from the Municipal Panchayat in Dharni, had been suffering a severe water crisis for years. Although the Village Panchayat had installed four borewells and three water tanks, the tanks could no longer be filled up after all the borewells stopped working. The villagers had complained and appealed to the Panchayat time and again,, to no avail, and so they were forced to rely on a borewell owned by a farmer, on a hillock half a km. away, for all their water requirements including drinking water. The well’s water level was so low, however, that the women would grow fatigued just drawing up their buckets. Then they had to climb uphill with the filled pots balanced on their heads – and the water they were able to carry back was never sufficient to meet household needs.

Screening of 'Hum Sab Ek Hain' during the Hissedari Sabha

For the past year and a half, Arvind Chatur from the Health and Nutrition Programme run by Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS) has been bringing together members of the local Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for Hissedari Sabha[1] meetings. A film produced by SPS Community Media, ‘Hum Sab Ek Hain’, was screened on one such occasion.

The film depicts how the women of Tumdi Kheda village, plagued by irregularities in ration distribution, raised the issue at their Hissedari Sabha, and how the collective pressure brought to bear on the ration shop keeper when they went in a large contingent to confront him resulted in the smooth supply of rations from the very next month. ‘Hum Sab Ek Hain’ aims to create awareness among village women and inspire them to participate actively in finding solutions to problems. After the screening, when Arvind touched upon local issues, the SHG members present spoke of having to make trips to fetch water all day long, and how this often meant loss of daily wage work, besides making it difficult for them to complete household chores on time.

Women hire a vehicle to go to meet the Sarpanch

The village’s water problem had come up during an earlier Hissedari Sabha as well. But at the Gram Sabha meeting that followed, the women from Bibamal had been too diffident to speak up in the presence of those – including the Village Panchayat – assembled there. After watching ‘Hum Sab Ek Hain’, however, the same women felt a new sense of courage, and they decided to unite to bring water to their village, and to submit a joint written application. As the Sarpanch lived in another village 5 km. away, they would collectively raise the money to hire a vehicle, and meet him at his house with their application.

Discussing the water crisis at the Sarpanch's house

And in May 2024, the big day arrived. 25 or 30 women got together to visit the Sarpanch. He had, however, come to know of their impending arrival, and had made his escape. His family told the women – oh, he’s gone to your own village. Refusing to be fobbed off so easily, the women telephoned him and insisted he return. On seeing their numbers, the man panicked. The women submitted their written application to him, and demanded a timeline for resolution.

Women presenting written application to the Sarpanch on the water issue

The Sarpanch assured them that their water problem would be fixed in four days. During that period, he had all four borewells repaired, and their 5 hp motors replaced with 7 hp motors. At last the tanks began to fill up with water again, and the smiles returned to the women’s faces. Their efforts had succeeded, and Bibamal village’s water woes were at an end.

At last the water tanks began to fill up with water again

[1]Meetings organised by members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) to discuss various issues of concern for their villages – such as access to drinking water, PDS shops, toilets, pension schemes, PM Awas Yojana, etc.

Writing: Balgeeta Bhilavekar

Source: Arvind Chatur

Photography: Rahul Kasdekar