Amidst the dry parched land and scorching heat, you will see a huge queue of people standing along with empty containers and buckets, awaiting tankers that will to some extent suffice their thirst.
Well, this has become a mundane scenario in Latur, which is struck with the worst drought of the century. Since February 22, when Manjara River dried up, the citizens have been deprived of water. Though the tankers sent by municipal co-operation, provide about 200 litres of water to each household daily, the quantity is less to suffice them. Many people are forced to buy water to fulfil their daily basic needs. The reason for such a severe drying of water reserves there is blamed on the switch of farmers to sugarcane and cotton crops that require huge quantity of water but also there is a political game made out of the water scarcity issue in Latur.`
Now, you can’t blame the nature every time. It is true that Latur falls in the less rainfall area of western Maharashtra, but don’t you think somewhere the improper water management and distribution, neglect from the government, wrong selection of crops for cultivation, reduction of groundwater level due to about 70% bore wells etc., and much more are the various factors contributing to the misery. Had these factors been taken care of, the situation of Latur could have been controlled to some extent. But, we are busy playing the blame game. Amidst this finger pointing, the poor people are bearing the consequences of a severe drought.
Well, we do appreciate the government’s efforts for sending the water-filled Jaldoot train from Miraj to Latur. Jaldoot, which was planned by the railway ministry in collaboration with the Maharashtra government, aimed at transporting half a million litres of water per trip from Miraj in Sangli district, which receives ample water from the Warna dam, downstream of river Krishna. Though the train helped a lot, but if analysed, overall it only offered one litre per resident of Latur whose population is about 5 million. Surveys reveal that in normal times, Latur’s water demand is 60 million litres per day, which turns out to be around 100 litres per day per person. Well, the water train did help, but not from a long term point.
So, to suffice their remaining need of water, the people of Latur are forced to rely on water tankers both in the deadly heat and at night. Now, the rich do feast on water by buying from the private tanks for their daily chores and packed drinking options for satisfying their thirst. Some, like this one jeweller from Latur, have even gone aboard and wasted water for celebrating festivals like Holi on the mere power of money. What a Shame! But there are some who have gone out of their way and helped people from their pocket. One such Vikas Manikrao Sul is supplying water from his farm, free to villagers every day for two hours. Another man who has restored our faith in humanity is Sheikh Mateen Musa, who has been distributing over 10,000 litres of water from his borewell every day to his neighbours since the past three months. Manteen, who is a Mathematics teacher, has been doing this free of charge. Well, where are those Hindutva dals who are against Muslims?
Another instant that has really shocked me is the business done in the testing time for the people of Latur. While organisations like the Art of Living are donating money to revamp the Manjara River and dam to prevent such a drought in future, the water sellers are busy making the profit. For providing water from private water tanks, the owners are charging huge amounts and thus earning a profit which makes the water industry a booming sector in Latur presently. A rough calculation suggests that if each tanker makes five trips a day and charges Rs 800 per trip then the turnover of the “water economy” is Rs 24 lakh per day.
The recent rains have sent a ray of hope to the Laturkar’s who are hoping that the drought will finally end and free them from the water war they are fighting for months now. But will the dirty politics that has occurred on the Latur drought issue end? Well, only time will tell, but the recent Latur drought incident has given us a glimpse of an anticipated scenario which we may see if ever water scarcity prevails in future, such will be our situation and we will be fighting a water war.
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