Water kept on guard in drought-hit Mahoba

Mahoba, Apr 30 (UNI) In the wake of the recent spurt in drinking water loot cases, water has been kept on guard in Mahoba district of the drought-hit Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

Severe water scarcity has left the district administration in a tizzy, which has directed the Jal Sansthan to ply water tanks from one place to another only after locking it, so that cases of 'water robbery' do not take place.

With blistering heat knocking the doors of UP earlier this time, problem of water shortage is looming large over the impoverished region.

The rising temperature and dropping ground water level has only added to the tale of woes of people. The water level has already dropped to seven feet at most places.

Not only humans, even livestock have life at stake in the shortage of this basic need for survival.

The water department and concerned officials are striving hard to overcome the crisis, but have done precious little to help the situation.

Interestingly, the dismal scenario has provided a perfect business opportunity to a few enterprising individuals, who are even selling water at the rate of Rs 30 per 15 litres.

After wells and ponds, 60 per cent of 1,000 tubewells established for water supply in Mahoba, are in their dying breath coercing people to steal water from water tanks.

Especially, people of Jaitpur and Panvadi areas have to travel long distances to fetch potable water for livelihood.

Taking cognizance of the severe water shortage, DM Vijay Vishwas Pant has started reviewing the situation and directed the concerned officials to make water supply in the over populated areas first.

Even as Bundelkhand has off late become a major poll plank for the political parties, the land of legandary warriors continuous to fight another battle on the safe drinking water front.

Scarcity of rainfall in the last five yrs has further made water a scarce commodity here. All the water bodies, including rivers, wells, ravines and ponds have shown a major fall in their water level in the past few years.

There are about a dozen small and big dams and embankments, besides 250 ponds in the district, but due to less or no rainfall in the last few yrs, most of them have partially dried up.

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