FHTCs-Paving ways to happy life for Women Functional House Tap Connection (FHTC) Madhya Pradesh Jal Nigam Maryadit PIU-Shahdol
FHTCs-Paving ways to happy life for Women Functional House Tap Connection (FHTC)
Madhya Pradesh Jal Nigam Maryadit
PIU-Shahdol
FHTC is paving ways to happy married life for women in village Pakri Tola
Indian women especially in rural areas, have an intimate, and lifelong connection with water. The ubiquitous image of women with pots balanced on their heads, trudging long distances to fetch water, is a depressingly-familiar one. Added to this the undergoing change in agriculture in India with more and more rural men migrating to bigger cities for work, leaving women, children and elderly behind to take care of the land and agriculture. This puts an extra burden on women who have their hands already full with household chores. The fear of fetching water in the heart of a girl is very well expressed in folk song translated here:-
?k.kh losjs lklw cksys ik.kh ysok tk js ik.kh
tku Egkjh fudyh tkos] ;kn vkos Egkjh
Ukkuh
dwMks rks ?k.kks xgj;;ks]
jLlh ik.kh rd eqf'dy ls igqWaps]
?kM+ks Hkjs vk/kks
?k.kh lcsjs tkÅ js ysok ik.kh
“kke <ys ?kj okil vkÅ
lklq Egkjh cksys ik.kh yk js ik.khA
-A folk song of Malva
Father worried for his daughter in marrying her in water scare village:-
We were surveying in the village the status of Functional House Tap
Connections (FHTC) in village Pakri Tola, Block Pushpraj garh,
district Annuppur, as we entered rains welcomed us. We took the
shelter in courtyard of a house. The head lady of the house called us
inside the house for proper shelter from rains. She was
Uma Chaudhary, a 24 year old lady, welcomed us happily saying
“Nal Waale Hai”, “Ji” we nodded. We noticed a water tap connection
inside her home and asked her 'Whether the water comes in this
tap'? She replied happily “Yes”. She continued “We are getting
sufficient water every day, and very happy that water comes at our
home otherwise we had to travel far, every day to get water for
drinking and other domestic purpose”.It was nice discussion with
Uma and we extended our discussion and told her that we wish to
have a meeting with group of women households. She readily
agreed and called 6-7 women from nearby houses for the meeting.
Now with the group, we started discussion about their village,
agriculture, education and drinking water status.
It was an interesting and participatory discussion about the status of water supply in the village. They stared the discussion form the year 2017-18. “We used to fetch water from a well 1-2 km away and down the hill from our house and we had to spend 2 to 3 hours per day. To make sure that water is available we have to start in early morning as there were chances of a rush to fill the water from the well, and we have to wait for our turn” Uma recalls. Uma continued “When my father came to see the groom for me in this village, he liked the boy and his family but when he came to know that there is no facility of water nearby house and water has to be fetched through head load from a well that is far away, initially he refused to my marriage in this village”.
Uma’s mother in law smiled in her support and added that as a mother of sons other families of the village had faced similar problems in marrying their sons as many parents refused to marry their daughters in this village as they have to go down the hill for 2 KM to bring water from well. Uma, again spearheaded the discussion and said that after your scheme my father is not worried now. The FHTCs paved the way for brides in the village
Uma Chaudhary Resident Pakritola Village, Anuppur District Just 2 pots of water was our life, thanks for freeing us from this drudgery:-
Encouraged from the participatory discussions, Kamla Bai, an
elderly ladymade her presence felt as a guardian of the village
“Thanks to the Jal Nigam Project!!! Now we have water Tap
connection at our house. We now get sufficient water every day”.
Collecting 2 pots of water was our life and a challenge recalled
Kamala Bai. Many families of village were dependent on just one
open well for water. In summer season, when water level used to
go down then quality of water also worsen in its colour and taste.
We used to suffer from stomach-related ailments. During that time
we have to fetch drinking water from nearby “nala” and even
sometimes we had to travel 3 to 4 KMs to “Pushprajgarh” for
collection of water.Male members of the household had to go out
to fetch water from Pushprajgarh and take on cycle, which many
times delayed them from going to work. She also told us proudly
that she is contributing Rs.60 per month as water tariff charges to
VWSC regularly.
Kamla Bai (Resident Pakritola
Village, Anuppur District)
FHTC at the doorstep minimised challenges of pregnancy:-
Another lady raised her voice on the occasion was Kiran,
Sheshared that before this tap connection she had to bring water
from well and during summer season when the well dried with
another women she also had to walk 1-2 km and collect drinking
water from Nala . “This task was very much worrying all of us
whenever we used to remind of summer season. It used to take lot
of time and we used to fallen sick more often because of physical
tiredness” Kiran recalls. Today Kiran, at full term stage of her first
pregnancy is very happy. “Thanks to Jal Nigam for Tap Water
Supply in our village and now we have water at our doorstep
every day. I get nervous while thinking tha ‘if there is no tap
connection in my home then how I would have brought water Kiran Choudhary
from the well in this situation. Resident Pakritola Village,Anuppur District
Pakri Tola Village Water Sub Committee (VWSC) at a Glance No.of Members: 12(6 Women, 6 Man Name of Chairman:Mr.Amrit Lal Name of secretary: Munnelal No. of Customer: 154 Households (APL-24, BPL-130) Collected as Connection charges and
security amount – Rs.25000 VWSC collected Water tariff amount
till date – Monthly water Tariff: 60 Rs./ month Till now VWSC of Pakri tola paid
rupees 61000 to MPJNM as water tariff .
For the solution of water scarcity and to provide a
sustainable source of drinking water MP Jal Nigam
commissioning multi village rural water supply
schemes these were based on surface water source.
Kirgi Multi Village Rural Water Supply scheme is one
of them that are implemented in Pushprajgarh Block
of Anuppur District that covered 36 villages Block.
This MVS is providing treated drinking water for
approximate population of 45218 through tap water
connections.
Pakri Tola, Gram Panchayat Harra Tola is one of
village of Scheme where drinking water supplied
from House Service Connections (HSC). Village have
154 houses that belong to ST/SC and OBC. Main
source of drinking water to the villagers were 2
open wells and 4 hand pumps those were based on
ground water, but in summer season water scarcity
used to become a major problem for villagers as
ground water level goes down and many sources get
dried up.
“Water is the source of happiness, energy, health and piety, and is life giving as mother”
(JJM-Guidelines)
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