UP: Water scarcity plagues Gopipur in Chitrakoot district

"I have been staying here for the last 18 years, ever since my marriage. Drinking water needs to be carried from afar, on our heads. This causes headaches. The helplessness forces us to bypass it and venture out for water. I do not have a bullock cart, so I have to walk," says a female villager.

Chitrakoot:Water scarcity has been running amok in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district, with villages vying for an alternate source of water like tankers as the natural reserves dried up after the onset of summer. A dire example of this is seen in Gopipur village of the district, where women go out daily in search of water, walking miles on end at a time. Clouded prospects of a further continuation of this battle against scarcity seem to shroud the minds of local residents, who claim all government plans to supply water to the region have failed so far.

Describing the issue, a married woman, residing in the village with her family says the problem is recurring and has been plaguing the area for a long. "I have been staying here for the last 18 years, ever since my marriage. Drinking water needs to be carried from afar, on our heads. This causes headaches. The helplessness forces us to bypass it and venture out for water. I do not have a bullock cart, so I have to walk", she said.

The bullock cart, another resident describes, has been a respite for villagers who had to earlier wait for tankers sent by the administration. "The carts are only for carrying water. The problem has reached such an extent that in the summers, even the wells have no water. I am 58 years old, and to date, I have been witnessing the same problem," another village resident explains.

The administration, however, appears to be taking measures for intervention. Deputy-Collector Paramesh Kumar Srivastava, speaking to ETV Bharat, said he himself recently visited Gopipur. "One submersible pump is faulty, so orders have been given to repair two hand pumps and put them to use. In the meantime, water will be provided to villagers via tankers" Srivastava said.