At Pappi’s village of birth, there were no problems in accessing clean water at her parental house. There was a functioning hand pump with water that tasted sweet, right at their doorstep. After her marriage, she moved to her husband’s house in Chamraha and experienced the daily challenges involved in accessing clean water.
It’s a very long walk from her house to the hand pumps. There are only a few hand pumps which are shared between hundreds of families. Also, both the large wells in the village have dried up. Those who are well-off have dug deep borewells, which have further depleted groundwater levels. Most other families have no choice, but to make multiple trips to the hand pump every day. In her family, this duty has fallen on the shoulders of Pappi and her sister-in-law.
“Multiple trips to the hand pump make my legs ache terribly. In order to save some time and be able to carry heavy vessels of water, I have started using a bicycle. Even then, it becomes very difficult to lug four heavy buckets at a time,” says Pappi.
They also have cattle to take care of. It requires a lot of water to quench the thirst of their cows and buffaloes. Besides this, water is required for their own basic needs like cooking, cleaning and bathing.
“The heat and exhaustion often get to me, but there is no other option, for we cannot survive without water. Added responsibility of collecting water, apart from other household chores has made me miss out on my favourite activity – sewing clothes,” Pappi adds.
Her dream is to spend more time in growing her tailoring business. Instead of running around for water, she could use the time to earn a livelihood. Maybe someday, she might be able to set up a shop of her own. The income from the shop will help add to her family’s prosperity, but that dream can only come true if there is water in her village.
You can help her realise her dreams.