Videos of women climbing down a 30-foot deep well to fetch drinking water in a drought-affected area in Madhya Pradesh have gone viral, prompting social media users to urge the state government to provide immediate relief.
Residents of Dheemartola village, located in the state's Dindori district, risk their lives in a bid to reach the base of an almost dry well. Once their clay-made water pitchers and utensils are filled up with the help of small mugs, they are pulled up by others using ropes.
According to reports, the village has three wells, of which two have dried up completely, and one gets a little water from underground sources.
Rudiya Bai, a woman in the village, told ANI that villagers even climb down the well in the middle of the night for water.
Although Madhya Pradesh state chief Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ensured the installation of hand pumps in several drought-prone zones under the "Nal Se Jal" ("Service From the Tap") scheme, the location is quite far away from the village.
Villagers say it is the distance that compels them to prefer such a risky way to get water.
While a drought-like situation prevails every year during summer, villagers claim the government is failing to solve the water problem.
Accusing the government of making false promises every time to gain votes during polls, the villagers have decided not to cast their votes until their problem is solved once and for all.
"When we are facing problems, no one comes. However, when they want the votes they will rush to us. We will not cast our votes now until we get the water", a villager said.
Women in India Climb Down 30-Feet Deep Well To Fetch Drinking Water in Drought Affected Zones -Video
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