Women brought water to the pond by cutting the mountain, made many small dams; The stream of change is flowing

Water friends working hard for permanent solution of water have become Bhagirath for dry Bundelkhand. In Angarotha village of Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, more than 400 women have cut the mountain and prepared such a canal, through which the rainy water of the mountain has started filling in the big pond of the village. The river Bhedi has also got life.

Such diverse efforts to forge water structures are being made all over Bundelkhand. Due to the initiative taken by women, many new water structures have been constructed in the region. The pond was constructed from the Bundelkhand Package in Angrotha, but due to no means of water supply, the pond dries up every year after the rains. There was water scarcity in the village. The women here made a plan to cut the adjacent mountain and drain the canal with the help of Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sanstha, an organization active in the field of water promotion. Connected the canal to the pond. Now the village’s water crisis is over.

Comprehensive work of preparing water structures has been going on since last years in Jhansi, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Banda, Chitrakoot and Jalaun in Uttar Pradesh along with Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Sagar and Damoh in Madhya Pradesh. Paramarth is in a supporting role in this mission by adding local women as water friends. Talking about the success achieved in Angrotha, Jal Saheli Babita Rajput says that not only this village, but women used to come here and do shramdaan after walking three km from the surrounding villages.

After nearly 18 months of hard work, the result is in front of everyone. The machine was also used to overcome the huge blockage of granite stones present on the mountain. The number of trees and plants that were removed during the construction of the canal were planted. 11 ponds have also been revived in this area. The biggest thing is that the dried up calf river here has given new life to the ponds. It used to flow only in the rain, now it will flow for 12 months.

Pani Panchayat has been formed in each village, which has 25 women members. They have been given the responsibility as water friends. By taking the women of her village together, she undertakes the construction and maintenance of water structures in the village. In Chhatarpur district, water sailers have prepared 11 small dams.

Stream of change:  State convenor of the organization’s Jal-Jan Jodo Abhiyan, Manvendra Singh, says that by saving rainy water, women have changed the condition and direction of the village. The pond added to the mountain is filling up to 70 acres of water. These efforts have increased the ground water level. Water has arrived in the dry wells here and hand pumps have also started giving water. Due to this change, farmers are now imagining a golden future for farming.