Udaipur : Charasda hamlet in Dudu block, like any typical traditional Rajasthan village, where women take care of labor responsibilities and where water is an important component of daily life, girls are tasked with walking miles to retrieve water instead of going to school. But water harvesting has helped with this problem and allowing young girls to attend school. Initiated by Water Harvest, an NGO working in this region for 32 years now, Roof Rain Water Harvesting System project has increased girl’s enrollment in schools by 30 percent, claims a report.
“ Some 350 villages located under the vicinity of Sambhar Salt Lake are gradually growing water self reliant after 430 roof rain water harvesting systems have been installed at these places. These structures capturing 6.5 million liters of water annually” says Om Sharma, the Country Director, Water Harvest.
This impacted to improve the quality of life of the rural people. They are not worried about procuring the drinking water, women and girls are happier because they were the main sufferer because they are involved in arranging the water for family. Women have started to give more time for agriculture, and animal husbandry activities and also they have opportunities of working. As a result, women are better organized in the self help groups and ensuring that their income goes into saving and can be utilized for the necessary expenditures of the family. The whole process has made them more confident.
“ I used to fetch water for my family with my mother from the well located at 2.5 Km. from our house before construction of the water harvesting structure in my house. But now, i have five to six hours in a day to spent on studies, household chores and even small level tailoring work” says Mamta Gurjar, a second year graduation student and eldest one in a family of six children.
Dallu Devi from Chhapya village who earlier lived in a pathetic condition because of being the sole earner of the family with three kids, is stress free now. Earlier she struggled for arranging drinking water for her family while carrying a kid with water pot. But after getting a water harvesting structure constructed in her house, she doesn’t have to worry for water any longer. “ There is no other water good for drinking as the rainwater is” she says as she uses the water for drinking for whole year.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
