How India’s women ‘water warriors’ turned arid villages into plentiful oases

As the mercury soars to 37°C, Neelam Jha is back to holding meetings with a group of women to review water availability in their parched village in Bundelkhand – India’s most arid region.

Ms Jha, 30, is a Jal Saheli, or “Friend of Water”. She forms part of a network of about a thousand women, mostly illiterate, who are on a mission to conserve water in the region.

“Summer is here and soon ponds and wells will dry up. We have to make sure that every house gets sufficient water,” Ms Jha told The National. She said women face the brunt of the water crisis.

In the coming weeks and months, the group will embark on the annual task of reviving water sources by digging wells and ponds, and constructing small reservoirs, to harvest rainwater in the drought-prone region.

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India, with a population of 1.3 billion people, has only four per cent of the world’s freshwater resources, leaving tens of millions without reliable access to potable water.

More than 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, according to a 2019 report by government think tank Niti Aayog.

The report said about 200,000 people die due to the water crisis every year and that if no action is taken, 40 per cent of India’s population will have no access to drinking water by 2030.

Bundelkhand, home to nearly 16 million people, falls in the country’s rain shadow region and stretches across northern Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh state.

Jal Saheli or “Friends of Water” is a network of about 1000 women, mostly illiterate, who are on a mission to conserve water in Bundelkhand, where women face the brunt of the water crisis. Photo: Neelam Jha

The water crisis here is perennial, but over the decades it has been aggravated by climate change, which has depleted aquifers and made rain increasingly scant.

Every year, as winter gives way to eight months of blistering heat, water in ponds and wells evaporates, setting off an recurring ordeal for the region’s women and children.

India is a largely conservative society, with gender roles strictly adhered to in rural areas, where women are primarily responsible for managing the household.

Ms Jha had only one purpose: fetching water for her family of six from the only handpump in the village.

Simravari, where she is from, has only one handpump for its population of 1,200.

Whether or not she was sick, tired, or pregnant, she walked two kilometres every morning and evening carrying three vessels on her head to the handpump to fetch water for cooking, cleaning and bathroom use.

“I had to make at least 10 rounds to the handpump a day but my husband never helped because men were supposed to work on fields … we faced discrimination and mental torture,” said Ms Jha, who has three children.

The water crisis has caused a cascade of consequences, forcing men to migrate to other places in the face of failing crops and overall economic distress.

Youths walk along a dry river bed on the banks of the river Ganges, in Allahabad. AFP

At least 3,500 farmers have taken their lives in the past three decades over failed crops and farm debts in a country where about 55 per cent of the arable land depends on the annual monsoon.

After failing to receive any assistance from the government to mitigate the water stress, dozens of women from 200 villages joined hands in 2005 to form Jal Sahelis.

Their aim was to revive traditional water sources and conserve water to ease the burden. Ms Jha joined them in 2019 to learn the ropes.

The saree-clad “water warriors”, aged between 18 and 70, conduct meetings with Pani Panchayat, or the council for water, to address the regional issues of drought and overall water management.

They have dug wells, revived ponds by converting them into check dams and built small reservoirs across the region to harvest the rain.

These dams retain excess water flow during the monsoon and helps to fill the aquifers.

The women have also helped repair and install handpumps and created soak pits, reducing water wastage to mitigate the lack of drinking water in water-scarce communities.

Ms Jha’s village is now flush with water.

“I have installed eight to 10 handpumps with the help of a village councillor. We also have installed a submersible pump that is connected to 50 families, giving direct water supply,” Ms Jha said.

“We do not face shortage of water any more and, in fact, we can now save water for rough days.”

Experts say India’s water crisis is due to a lack of focus and efforts on groundwater conservation.

About 85 per cent of rural and half of the urban population in India depends on groundwater, which declined by 61 per cent between 2007 and 2017.

Dr Suresh Kumar Rohilla, programme lead with the International Water Association, said the government’s policies were misplaced.

He said its focus was on providing tap water to households and that groundwater conservation was overlooked.

Women carry containers to collect drinking water from an almost dried up well at Talad village near Jammu. AP

In recent years, the government has aggressively improved access to tap water and has even formed a dedicated ministry, Jal Shakti, to address the water shortage in the country.

Since its formation in 2019, the ministry has added 31 per cent of Indian households to the tap water network, increasing the number of total reach to nearly 48 per cent of them nationwide.

“The focus of the government is on providing pipe and tap to every household, everybody should target that, but simultaneously there should be an aggressive push for co-management of use of groundwater,” Dr Rohilla told The National.

“We have encroached on water bodies due to rapid urbanisation. There should be integrated groundwater as well as surface water management.”

Dr Rohilla says that water conservation and efficiency are the driving forces and that education and community participation can help to mitigate the crisis.

“Our designs are not based on local requirements, but such community programmes, where locals are involved, will certainly benefit in water harvesting structures as well as create water assets,” he said.

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The biog

Name: Timothy Husband

Nationality: New Zealand

Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney

Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier

Favourite music: Billy Joel

Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

UAE currency

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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

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In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

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Key findings

Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.

COMPANY%20PROFILE

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai

Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:

• Dubai Marina

The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.

Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104

• Downtown

Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."

Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154

• City Walk

The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”

Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210

• Jumeirah Lake Towers

Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.

Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941

• Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.

Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.

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