Background of Khardia Village
Khardia village is situated at Kantharia Panchayat of Jhadol block. In this village, RBKS and Wells for India, UK, completed a watershed project from April 2008 to September 2011. Pargi fala is one hamlet of Khardia village, and at the time of Handpump installation, it had 42 households and 182 people. Earlier, they depended on an open well for drinking water. Women have to walk 1 to 2 km to fetch water, and it takes around one hour for one pot of water. They need a minimum of 5 to 6 pots of water for a day and 5 to 6hoursr used to fetch water every day. If at night the water is over, then they have no option for drinking water and will remain thirsty. Besides this, they take a bath once every 3 to 4 days. One nearby Handpump is in another hamlet at a distance of 3 km, and around 70 families depend on it, so sometimes they have to wait for an hour also.
Intervention through Handpump installation. Pargi fala community contacts our staff and VDC during the meeting and shares their drinking water problems in detail. Then the VDC decides that they have one handpump, and if it is installed in that fala, it will serve the families of the Pargi fala better. Our staff, along with VDC members, organised a meeting with the pargi fala community to see the real condition of the fala. Then, at the final VDC, Khardia decides to install a Handpump at Pargi Fala. The community agrees to maintain the handpump, and the Handpump is installed near the check weir at Pargi Fala (Hamlet).
Outcome
To assess the outcome of the Hanpump installation activity, we discussed with the community, and their responses are:
- Jivli Bai w/o Prithviraj Pargi. Earlier, she had to walk one km to fetch water, which took one hour, and also needed a rope and a bucket to take water from the well. To fill one po, they need one hour. At night, if the water is over, they cannot go to the well. Now the condition has changed, the water is available near home, which is beneficial to the family and cattle. Handpump water is used for domestic purposes and drinking water.
- Geeta d/o MohanlalPargi. Earlier, they brought water from the Khardia fala handpump, which is 1 km away, and it required 1 to 1 hour. Water was also not available during the summer; therefore, they took a bath once every 3 to 4 days. Now our 6 family members, 2 big animals, and 6 small animals are benefiting from the new handpump. If it requires repairing, then we will collect money from all beneficiaries and will repair it.
- Ambavi bai w/o Mavpargi. Ambavivi bai brought water from Melavadi fala, which is 1 ½ km far, and they started to bring water from Khard, which is 1km far. They spent 1 to 2 hours bringing one pot of water, and daily they need 5 pots of water. Family pressure is high on this handpump, so sometimes they have to wait for an hour at the handpump. Now children can bring water for the house. For cattle, the facility is also available, and many cattle are drinking water from the village. The family has 7 members,7 big animals, and 4 small animals.
- Hakri Bai w/o Moti Lal Pargi. PargiHakri bai walks to School fala, or Melavadi fala, or panvadi fala to fetch water from the well, which is at a distance of 1 ½ km to 2 km. She used a rope and a bucket to take water from the well. It affects the palm. She needs 1 to 2 hours daily to bring water once, and she and I are engaged for a total of 5 hours in this work. Drinking water for cattle is available 2 km away, and if the cattle are not well, then they have to bring additional water. This newly installed handpump is like Ganga for us. This will help to raise a vegetable nursery before the monsoon. We will use water for domestic purposes, cleaning clothes, bathing, etc. In total, 57 households, 243 members are getting benefits from the Handpump. Besides that, the 231 small and 1cat requirements are going to be fulfilled from the HP of Pargi Fala.