Chhattisgarh: Water crisis forces tribals to walk to MP village

Pendra (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 02 (ANI): With wells and natural water sources dried up, tribal people in Chhattisgarh's Pendra village are forced to make a five-kilometer round-trip to a neighbouring village in Madhya Pradesh on foot to cater to their needs.
With Chief Minister Raman Singh in his 'Vikas Yatra' hailing the development the state has undergone because of his efforts, a fair reflection of its shortcomings can be seen in the hardships that around 60 families of the indigenous Baiga tribe have to go through every day.
For more than two months now, the wells and other natural water sources in the area have remained dry, while the one handpump, supplied by the government, provides only up to five buckets of water.
"We have to at least collect drinking water and for that we go to Paura (a village in Madhya Pradesh), walk around 5 km daily on an unpaved road," a local told ANI.
Meanwhile, Pendra Janpad CEO OP Yadav said the matter has been conveyed to the Secretary of the Sarpanch (head of the panchayat), along with a request for additional funds.
"Due to the scarcity of water, we have ceased the construction work under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana in the village. We spoke to the Secretary of the Sarpanch about it and have requested for a proposal regarding funds, which will come on Monday," he said.
On a related note, a severe water crisis has hit Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, owing to which tourism to the hill station has been massively hit.
Bottled water prices in the town have inflated sharply due to the crisis, and the hotels have resorted to supplying water to their guests in buckets. (ANI)