India News | NHRC Notices to Maharashtra, Jal Shakti Ministry over Acute Water Crisis in Nasik Village

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) The NHRC has issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the Union Jal Shakti ministry over reported acute water crisis in a Nasik village, which has forced women to walk long distances to fetch water, so much so that many new brides return to their parental homes unable to cope with the situation.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its statement on Wednesday said that women have to walk a kilometer and a half every summer, from March to June, to fetch water from a nearly dry stream at the bottom of a hill, which takes a lot of time.

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Reportedly, families now hesitate to get their daughters married off to men from this village, it said.

"The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that due to acute shortage of water in Dandichi Bari village in Nasik district of Maharashtra, the villagers have to struggle daily for a drop of water," the statement said.

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The commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, amounts to gross violation of their basic human rights that is right to life and dignity.

It seems that in spite of several efforts being made by government agencies and announcement of various schemes to provide potable water, the relief is still away from this village, the rights panel said in the statement.

Accordingly, the NHRC has issued notices to the chief secretary, the government of Maharashtra and the secretary, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, seeking a detailed reports within six weeks.

The reports should include the steps being taken or proposed to be taken to redress the grievance of the residents of the village and present the status regarding availability of drinking water in the area, it said.

According to the media report, carried on May 2, filling of one pot may take three hours and women have to walk on a hilly terrain in odd hours twice a day to fetch water first in the morning at 4 am and again after sunset to avoid the scorching heat, the statement said.

New brides are often not able to cope with the horrible situation, according to the report.

They are so daunted by the extreme water scarcity that they do not want to stay in the village and return to their maternal homes. "The village sarpanch, reportedly said that many babus and journalists visit the village and take photographs of suffering of the villagers but no one helps," it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)