Maha: Children descend into well with ropes to fetch water

The harsh Sun and bruises on

her palms notwithstanding, Snehal Rathod (14) is happy that she has won the day's battle to fetch that precious water from a rocky well located half-a-km away from Veejihira hamlet in Maharashtra's parched Beed district.

This relief temporarily made her forget the huge risk she had taken by descending into the 20-feet-deep well with the help of a rope to fill her pitcher. And she is not alone.

Snehal is a daughter of cane-cutting labourer parents, who are stuck in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra due to the coronavirus lockdown.

For children like her and others from Veejihira in arid Marathwada region, the battle for life has always been tough, and the lockdown has only added a new dimension to it.

 

The rocky well, which is the only source of water for this small settlement of 200 people, is now drying out, and the struggle for water is getting only harsher.

"The well is located half a kilometre away from our settlement. I have no option but to fetch water from there as my parents are now stuck in Kolhapur," Snehal told PTI.

Veejihira, which falls under the jurisdiction of Rui Dharur group Grampanchayat, is facing a severe water shortage.

Snehal and many teenage children like her frequently put their lives at risk by descending and ascending the well, using only ropes for safety.

Parents of most of them are cane-cutting labourers who have been stuck in various districts elsewhere in Maharashtra due to restrictions on movements.

"My parents are stuck in Kolhapur due to the lockdown," Snehal said as a matter of fact.

"I and my friends get down into the well with a rope and fill water in a small pot, which we tie to rope and climb up," she said.

Many a times, water spills out of the pot due to the heaving movement, Snehal said.

Another resident of Veejhira, Amit Rathod, said he didn't remember any other source of water but the the well which has been used by his parents and grand-parents.

He said the village has only one borewell, which is yet to come to life.

"A three-phase electricity connection is needed to make this borewell work, but the entire village runs on a single-phase power supply," he said.

When contacted, Rui Dharur village Sarpanch Anil Salunke said he had apprised authorities about the problems.

"We have submitted all papers to the Electricity department, but are yet to get the connection for the borewell," he said.

Meanwhile, an Electricity department official said they have done the survey and will do the needful as soon as possible.