Nearly a hundred women have taken up the role of turned into well-diggers to meet the water needs of their own village near Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. These enthusiastic women took up shovel to find a solution to the acute water scarcity in the hamlet and earn a living.
In Tamil Nadu, groundwater levels have dipped considerably. A whopping 21 out of 32 districts in the state are in the red. The depletion rate is high in Dharmapuri district. As the monsoon failed the state, this is the case of most districts.
Yet, battling various challenges the women from drought-hit Vetrapatti village took this responsibility and succeeded in recharging a lake under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). These water warriors used a pickaxe and a shovel to dig wells across the village with the hope of improving their livelihood. Lack of training never hurdled their determination.
Considering the scarcity of water in the village, the women volunteered to be a part of this project which also ensured them a steady daily wage to support their family. They were so happy that the next monsoon would help them meet the needs.
"We are heading towards complete depletion of groundwater. Until we don't take these necessary steps and allow the rainwater to percolate into the ground, water tables will not get recharged. We are happy in supporting our village through this 100-days work scheme", Jothi told News 18.
"We are even ready to work six days a week to construct and recharge the water bodies. I can support my village as well as my family through the daily wages. I am so happy to be a part of this project," added another worker.
The local administration hopes that by implementing similar projects under the MGNREGS scheme, the upcoming monsoon would definitely aid them recover from water scarcity.
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