Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh, which is among the hottest regions in the country, regularly faces water scarcity every summer. Until the rains of last year, the arid region was hit by three successive drought seasons. Now, a water collective from Lalitpur district's Bhamaurisar village, which faced a similar problem in 2011, has taken charge of Bundelkhand's daily battle for water.
At present, water collectives are operating in as many as 40 villages in Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur district. Many of them have succeeded in drawing the attention of authorities to address and solve serious water problems in their respective areas.
"We used to tell the DM that we have to go far to fetch water. Many times, we were made to sit outside and asked to come back," says Rekha.
Many such collectives have succeeded to solve major water issues in their regions.
Similarly, Renu and Parvati officially formed a water collective Jal Sahelis in Lalitpur's Kakradi village in 2013 and following three years of struggle, managed to secure funds from the district administration to revive and fortify a dry pond in their region.
Phulwati Devi in Moto village says that she and her friend Imarti faced sneers, insults and even threats when they formed a water collective and started digging a well all by themselves.
"I told them that we will not go back on constructing the well," she adds.
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