Water lock-in Rajasthan's villages: Drinking water crisis due to cancellation in Bikaner's rural areas, locks on wells in 40 villages due to fear of theft

Ghee can be easily found for drinking in rural areas of western Rajasthan, but it is difficult to get enough water. The people of the desert have understood the value of water for hundreds of years. Here water is protected like 'Amrit'. Kuiyans (small wells) built hundreds of years ago are then locked in the months of May-June. So that no one can steal the water.

Due to the cancellation in the Bikaner area of ​​Rajasthan, water scarcity in the villages has increased. Therefore locks are being hung on wells in villages. This is the arrangement in about 40 villages in the Bhandan area of ​​Lunkaransar tehsil. In all the villages including Hansra, Sodwali, Bhikhanera, Khokhrana, Khileria, Khiran, Lalera, Uchaiya Purviya, Morana, and Sadhera in Tehsil, there are wells. Apart from this, there is a similar arrangement in the villages of several tehsils, including Khajuwala, Pugal, Srikolayat.

What is it?

These wells are short forms of wells. In the desert, the water leaks inside and moves forward. Water from some johad, pond, or Indira Gandhi canal also makes its way forward into the leaking land. People of the area know where the water is going from inside. In such a situation, the excavated water is collected and the seeping water is collected. There is so much water stored in these wells that 20 to 30 buckets of water are available at the time of need.

This is how we extract water from a well

Camels are stacked on one side to extract water from the well. On the other side, a pot made of leather is inserted into the well. As the camel moves forward, the vessel also comes out. When this vessel filled with water comes up, its water is put in an iron tank. Many times the people of the village work together to draw water when there is no camel.

That's why we lock the well

Raghuram of Lunkaransar says that every family has its personal property. There is no lock-in these days, but these days a huge water crisis is going on. There is no water in the canal either. The Department of Water is also not supplying. In such a situation, people secretly take out water from a well. To avoid this, most farmers have set locks.

Water crisis

There is a distance of 10 to 15 kilometers between one dhani to another Dhani in the desert. This dhanis do not have water connections. Arrangements have also been made to provide water to some Dhanis. Despite this, the water department is not able to provide water there. When water comes in Indira Gandhi Canal, people bring water from the canal. But these days the crisis has increased due to cancellation.

Problem every year

The Indira Gandhi Canal is not closed for the first time but is closed for repairs every time. This time the canal has been closed from 29 April to 2 June. In the last years too, canal closure has taken place during this period. In May, where the heat increases thirst, in the same month the canal closure causes a drinking water crisis from the city to the village.

Due to a lack of water for about a month, there is no water in the distributaries coming towards Indira Gandhi Canal towards Bikaner, Lunkaransar, Khajuwala, and Pugal. In such a situation, the villagers keep trying to save every drop of water.

Don't refuse the needy

Even after the well is locked, the locals do not refuse to provide water to the needy. People easily take water after requesting the owner of the well, but after stealing the whole village stands in protest.