Water riots in UP's Bundelkhand

Wells and hand-pumps have dried up, ponds have disappeared, the water table has receded and Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh is now fighting for water.

The few water sources that remain are becoming the proverbial bone of contention among the people and water riots are being reported from the rural interiors of Bundelkhand.

Bundelkhand has five rivers - Betwa, Yamuna, Kunwari, Satlej and Pahuj - but most of them have seen depletion in water over the years.

The state government, however, denies that there is any law and order problem due to water shortage in this region.

"Whenever a water tanker comes, people fight among themselves to get their share of water. We have seen family members fighting among themselves. On several occasions, people have had to intervene when the arguments turn physical. Water riots are becoming increasingly common in the area," said Khurshid Alam, a journalist.

A large number of weddings in Bundelkhand have also been postponed due to paucity of water. Some have even been cancelled.

Devi Dayal Pandey of Jalaun district said: "My son's wedding was cancelled because the girl refused to walk 2 km every day to fetch water. She said that she would not marry my son because our toilet is also non-functional - how can we use the toilet where there is no water supply?"

Dozens of cattle, birds, monkeys and dogs have died in Bundelkhand in the past two weeks but officials said that they have no information about this.

"This is a usual situation at this time of the year. The water supply is affected because the water table has receded and we send water tanker whenever there is a demand for one. The heat wave conditions are extreme and we hope to get rainfall soon which will bring respite from power and water shortage," said an official in Banda.

The Executive Officer of Orai Nagar Palika, Sanjay Kumar, said water tankers were being sent to areas that faced severe water crisis.