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For years, Uma Ben's mornings began with a long walk to fetch water. Like many women in Sakarpatal village of Gujarat's Dang district, she had to carry pots through hilly forest terrain every day to meet her family's daily needs.
Today, the situation has changed significantly. Under the Gujarat government's 'Nal Se Jal' mission and the Centre's 'Har Ghar Jal' initiative under the Jal Jeevan Mission, clean drinking water is now reaching homes directly through tap connections in remote tribal villages. "The water now comes into our home. Earlier, we women had to go and fetch water. Now we get it in the comfort of our home. We are very happy," said Uma Ben, a resident of Dang district. The availability of tap water connections has reduced hardships for tribal families, particularly women, who earlier spent several hours every day collecting water from distant sources. Despite the region's difficult hilly terrain, pipeline networks and lift irrigation systems have been developed to ensure a regular water supply to remote villages. Local communities are also participating in maintaining the water supply system. "We used to go up the hill to fetch water and got tired upon returning home. And now we get water while sitting here at home. We use this water for washing clothes, washing utensils, for the toilet, and bathing, we now have water at home," said Kumudben, another resident of the village. Water Supply Operator Akshay Valvi said the project has brought major relief to villagers. "Bringing water by climbing up and down the hill was very difficult. Now with pipeline water reaching each home, it has brought relief to the people. They can now go to their work," he said. According to government data, Gujarat is among the top-performing states under the Jal Jeevan Mission and has achieved 100 per cent rural household tap water coverage. Talati-cum-Mantri Harshidaben Patel said the initiative has transformed daily life in the region. "The 'Har Ghar Jal' initiative has brought water facilities to each home. Every home now has taps and receives a water supply. Earlier, when they had to go far away to fetch water, their time was wasted. Now things have changed; they now get water at home and can focus on their work," she said. From walking kilometres daily to fetch water to receiving it at their doorstep, residents in Gujarat's tribal villages say the initiative has improved convenience, saved time and enhanced their quality of life. (ANI)
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