In the Satpudas, donkeys are the support during water scarcity...
Translated from Marathi by AI · Read the original
At present, there is a severe water shortage in the Satpuda hills. People have to walk 2-4 km on foot for water. Government machinery does not reach here. During such a severe water shortage, the support of a donkey is important for fetching water. Water has to be brought from so far away that even the donkeys get tired. In a settlement in the Narmada valley, while water was being brought by loading water drums on the back of a donkey, the donkey got tired and collapsed on the spot... After removing the water drums and somehow making the donkey stand up, the tribal brothers took it home. Very few people in this area have donkeys. Most people carry water on their heads.
Many girls drop out of school to fetch water, while boys drop out to herd cattle. The boys and girls, already malnourished due to a lack of adequate nutrition, go into the hills and valleys to fetch water. This picture of Satpuda is extremely painful. Schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission have not reached here. Government employees and officers do not even visit. NGOs do not come to work because it is a remote area, and media representatives do not reach out to do news and ground reports after seeing the dangerous roads here. Overall, the situation is such that neither does anyone come to perform their duty in the remote tribal area, nor does anyone come for help.
Through Yung Foundation, we are trying to help in this area. The shortage of water and fodder is severe. Help is also needed to activate the government machinery that exists only on paper. Those who can, please come forward to help...
- Sandeep Vinayak Deore
Yung Foundation