There is a water crisis In Uttar Pradesh’s hamirpur district,
The Energy and Research Institute
(TERI), found that around 162,000 village in India face the problem of brackish
or contaminated water. Mamana, with a population of 4,387 is clearly one of
them. People in Mamana can recognise the hardness in the water easily enough. If
they use soap, they will find that it does not lather and instead leaves a
white deposit on the body. If they leave water standing in a glass for a while,
a stain forms around the water’s rim.
(TERI), found that around 162,000 village in India face the problem of brackish
or contaminated water. Mamana, with a population of 4,387 is clearly one of
them. People in Mamana can recognise the hardness in the water easily enough. If
they use soap, they will find that it does not lather and instead leaves a
white deposit on the body. If they leave water standing in a glass for a while,
a stain forms around the water’s rim.
Hardness in water comes from heavy metals and minerals that
have made their way into the water from sedimentary rocks, seepage or farm
runoff. Substances like calcium and magnesium, emerging from limestone and
chalk deposits found in soil have a presence in the water. The ill-effects of
the drinking hard water are found in the whole in Hamirpur. “Many people here
complain of pain in one side of their stomach and it is said that is because of
Kidney stones caused by the poor quality of drinking water.”
Mamana has 742 households, of which 369 are from the
Schedule caste and 275 belong to other backward Classes. As in the rest of UP, caste
determines every aspect of life, including the quality of water that reaches Dalits . Dalits and Muslims neighbourhoods are the least serviced and the hardest
hit when there is an acute shortage of water during the summer when temperatures
soar to 45 degree Celsius.
There is frequent fights on water , fights break out of access the six wells that have
sweet water and the water from the tankers. Those who are not so lucky to get
that water ,have to drink the brackish water in the hand pumps, which cause
serious illness to them , many of them get gastrointestinal problems .
Women traditionally have been given the drudge task of
collective water for all domestic purpose, including watering the cattle if
there are any. The sight of women and young girls hauling pitchers and buckets
is common enough but rarely can men be spotted doing similar activity.
By :Sonika
Source : The Hindu News Paper
No comments:
Post a Comment