Villagers dig up riverbed for water in Lakhisarai, Bihar
The heat wave has left a district in Bihar so parched that people have been forced to dig up a riverbed in search of water. Because of the scorching summer, ground water levels are dangerously low, leaving many hand pumps and wells dry.
It has become a daily ritual for hundreds of villagers in Lakhisarai district to go early in the morning and start digging under the sand of a local river bed. So far they have been able to draw water, which they fill in pots and carry back to their villages.
"We are somehow managing by digging up the river bed. But once it becomes hotter, even this will be difficult," says Moti Shah, a local.
"We have faced water shortages in the summer for years. The administration and out politicians, they only give us assurances. We want a permanent solution to our problems, "said Lakshman, a local villager.
In the past few years, water levels here have hovered near zero in the peak of summer. Local government officials claim that new wells and hand pumps have been set up and water tankers are sent to areas facing acute water shortage.
Anjani Kumar, an official said, " We have created new borings and a water tower is about to be installed. The problem should be over in a few days. But in case there is more scarcity, we will send in water tankers," he adds.
For a permanent solution, local administration claims to have floated three tenders in the last 10 years, to create water storage tanks in the area. The last tender worth Rs 7 crore was floated in 2013-14, but work is yet to start.
Until that happens, these villagers in Lakhisarai will have to make do with the routine of digging the riverbed. That may be shocking to some of us, but is very much part of life in this part of Bihar.
Intense heat wave conditions have already claimed over 1,800 lives across the country this summer.