Renesh bhai Gamit

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Woman and children bear biggest brunt.

About The Video: “Why does a village that receives abundant rainfall and has a river flowing through it have water problem?” is the question that Community Correspondent Renesh Bhai obsessed over during a field visit to Malangdev Ota village in the Tapi district of Gujarat. He studied the village’s water supply and questioned the villagers. He realized that a check dam which had been constructed across the river was obstructing the flow upstream and into the village. During the dog days of summer, the upper portion of the river would dry out and the people were forced to trek down river to get access to water for their daily needs.

The men will be out in the fields so the responsibility of collecting water falls on the women and children,’ says Renesh. “Even pregnant women and little children are forced to trek up and down a kaccha mud path balancing themselves and heavy water pots. Children tend to go fetch the water right after a hard day at school. It is really sad watching them lugging the pots up the patch, all tired and weary.”

For the past few years, the villagers had been trying unsuccessfully to get the attention of the water board to their issues which they maintain can be solved by installing a bore well. They were growing weary of their efforts. Most had decided to bear with the situation. Then, Renesh Bhai suggested the idea of a community video.

Says Renesh, “I told them that just as water needs a channel to flow through and reach their homes and fields, their voices also need a channel. They had tried to move the authorities using all the resources they had. Now, I told them, is the time to reach out.”

Call to Action: Renesh asks the viewers of his video to call K.S.Dangi, Sanitation and water works department ,Tapi 09978406651 on and ask the officials to install a borewell at the water source and direct the water into the village. 

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