#OrangeUrHood in #16days | Today the focus is on Women in Power and Decision-Making | Women Water Warriors of Bundelkhand are successfully fighting the water scarcity issues through Pani Panchayats– a local community self-governance initiative (Water Management Councils) aimed at increasing women’s participation in decision-making at all levels, enhance their voice within democratic institutions and above all, ensure that they have a distinct identify as able managers of water resources. In Mallahanpura village, Bundelkhand, Meera Devi (40) used to spend over five hours a day to fetch water till Paani Panchayat stepped in. “The Paani Panchayat led by Jal Sahelis (water friends) worked as awareness and pressure group to deal with water issues in the village. We have more water and it’s easier now,” says her husband Shyam Singh (42). He adds, “Earlier Meera used to go to a handpump 150 metres away and made three trips each day. Each trip apart from walking to and fro had an average waiting time of one-and-a-half hours before her turn came to fill water. The queue used to be longer because 10 of the 26 handpumps were out of order for a very long time. Paani Panchayat pressurised the Gram Pradhan (head of the decision makers of the village), Block Development Officer and Sub-divisional Magistrate; now all the 26 handpumps work, including the one that is barely 10 metres from my home.” Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan has been helping set up many such Paani Panchayats with aid from the EU.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 06:59:14 +0000
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