Hand pumps are the last hope here

By Manas Dasgupta

HIMMATNAGAR (GUJARAT), MAY 2. The 80-km stretch from Ahmedabad to the Sabarkantha district headquarters of Himmatnagar in north Gujarat presents an eye-pleasing sight of greenery thus giving a misleading impression of the drought. The landscape changes as one drives beyond Himmatnagar through the tribal-dominated areas leading to the State's border with Rajasthan.

Mile after mile of barren, parched lands, rows of cattle being herded to greener pastures, women with empty vessels in search of water-the picture of the acute drought condition sinks in. The Hathmati, Harnav and Koshindra which criss-cross the highway are supposed to be rivers, but only rocky beds remain.

Even the huge Rani ki Talao on the outskirts of Idar town, which the locals say had not gone dry even during three consecutive years of drought in the late Eighties, is left with only little water.

The silver lining is that almost every village has at least one hand pump still functioning which the villagers hope will last till the onset of the monsoon when they hope the water shortage will ease. The water from the hand pumps may not be sufficient for the 500 to 700 people in each village but the villagers have learnt to use the available water judiciously.

The sub-soil water in the bed of the Sabarmati has come to the rescue of the villagers in Sabarkantha district, named so because it is situated on the ``kantha'' (bank) of Sabarmati. ``The secret of the greenery on the stretch from Ahmedabad to Himmatnagar is the sub-soil water available in the region due to the Sabarmati,'' Mr. Baba Harsolia, a Himmatnagar- based businessman and a Congress(I) member, said.

To ensure that the water from the hand-pump is not overused and to overcome the problem of shortage of fodder, the members of many families have left with their cattle to areas near the Dharoi dam on the river and will return only after the onset of the monsoon. All villagers, complain of Government apathy. Whether it is Saiba of Chada village or Harakhbhai of Bharmiya village, all have the same complaint-no effort had been taken to repair the out-of-order hand pumps.

The people of Chada have also not got any relief work despite the total loss of crops. It is part of the Atiya village, which as per the scarcity manual has not been declared drought- hit. ``We have no jobs here, no fodder for cattle and only one functioning hand-pump for about 700 people,'' Saiba complained. The villagers are thankful that the Dharoi dam is nearby as it will help save their cattle.

Many villagers, however, are lucky to have landed small jobs in farms between Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar and in shops and commercial establishments in urban areas, as well as in some road construction projects. At least their survival has been ensured.

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Section  : Regional
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