Despite Modi’s ‘Nal Se Jal’ Mission, Women Walk Miles to Get Water

While India searches for traces of water on the moon, women in Haryana walk several kms to draw water from a well.

During The Quint’s election coverage, we reached Kheri Chopta village in Hisar where the aforementioned sight is a daily ordeal.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

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While India is trying to search for traces of water on the moon, women in Haryana’s Hisar walk several kilometers to draw water from a well, for lack of a pipeline and drinking water supply in their households.

During The Quint’s election coverage, we reached Kheri Chopta village in Hisar where the aforementioned sight is a daily ordeal.

Two sisters, Meena and Guddi, have been drawing water from a well – some two kilometres from their house – across the village everyday to compensate for the lack of a direct water supply in their house.

“During summer, I take around 2-3 trips a day.”

All this in a state where the BJP government has been in power for five years, with PM Narendra Modi promising water to every household as part of one of the biggest projects of his second tenure, so far – Har Ghar Nal, Har Ghar Jal.

Guddi, who has “grown old drawing water” has been at it since her school days, while her sister has been doing it for approximately 45 years.

But it doesn’t just end there. After drawing water, they work in the fields to earn their bread and butter and also take care of the household and their children – earning a meagre Rs 100-150 a day.

So much so, that despite having gas cylinders at home, they don’t have enough money to refill the cylinders.

Their misery doesn’t end at just water, but extends to electricity too as the village gets electricity only for a couple of hours during the day.