Gujarat villages near Pak border crave for water

Palanpur (Gujarat), Apr 27: Several villages near the international border here are facing severe water scarcity with wells, ''vavs'' and village ponds turning dry.

A survey, conducted by an experts' team from Netherlands, has concluded that the region has suffered ecological degradation. The water table has gone down considerably, while the salinity has increased beyond the tolerance level.

Villages like Zazam, Kilana, Madhutra, Jakhotra, Dantrana and Vauva are facing tremendous hardships. Mavasari, Rajapura, Meghpura, Oradassan, Navapura and Sedav villages in Vav taluka of Banaskantha district, get water once in two weeks.

The villagers have to fetch water from sources that are five to six kilometres away from their villages. In the desperate search for water, the villagers do not mind engaging their children for the job even if it means skipping school.

In Vav taluka's Chatarpura, which is 32 kilometres from Pakistan territory, the water tanker arrives two times in a year.

''Some 24 days back we had seen a water tanker here during a religious congregation. We are waiting for another such event so that we will get to see a water tanker again.'' says Ganagben, a villager.

Notwithstanding the villagers' woes, superintending engineer of Banaskantha and Patan division, G M Solanki, claims that the water supply has improved considerably and no villages under his jurisdiction have any problem of drinking water.

But the villagers disagree. ''We have to fetch water amid great hardship,'' they say. For a single pot of water, the villagers have to travel almost ten to twelve kilometres under the scorching sun,'' laments 70-year-old Veera Roopa.

''We are fed up with empty promises. We do not want to dream about the Sujlam Suphalam scheme. We want water,'' says another villager, Kobhabhai Panchabhai Thakore.

UNI