Dry Wells and Wet Eyes: Tribal Women Protest for Potable Water

The parched throats of the tribal villages Chinnakonila and Buriga cried out this week – not with words, but with the hollow clank of empty water vessels. 250 denizens from these hilltop hamlets, forsaken by both electricity and aqua vitae, gathered to demonstrate their droughty plight. Kneeling in desperate thirst before the powers that be, they begged: “Give us water, or give us death!”

Their pleas did not fall on deaf ears. MLLC Ravi Babu and ITDA PO Ronanki Gopalakrishna soon arrived, like Cavalry riding to the rescue, to survey the situation. Six months prior, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a borewell had been dug and encased. But alas! No motor was installed to pump the precious underground nectar to the surface.

“We often fall ill from drinking contaminated water,” the tribals claimed, “sharing water sources with cattle and creatures.” Their demands were but twofold: firstly, install a motor to access the .trapped subterranean spring; secondly, deliver this oasis unto their villages afore summer’s scorching reign begins.

Girijana Sangham leader Govinda Rao echoed their pleas in a parched statement: “Water, water everywhere – not a clean drop to drink!”

The plight of Chinnakonila and Buriga sheds light on broader inequities still bubbling beneath the surface of today’s society. Like the cowboy trials of yore, tribal groups are still saddled with poor access to infrastructure enjoyed by those dwelling downstream.

Yet their demonstration has stirred the waters of public attention. Thanks to the ripple effect, waves of awareness may soon break upon the shores of policy and lawmaker minds. Verily, they shall not rest until the hilltops flow with milk and honey – or at least, clean water to quench their thirst.

In an infrastructurally parched land where millions lack life’s most basic necessity, the victory of Chinnakonila and Buriga could irrigate the landscape for rainwater harvesting initiatives nationwide. With the monsoons still months away, the tribes have sounded an early warning for the critical importance of potable drinking water.

Their plight resounds far beyond their remote villages. It echoes across all marginalized communities struggling for access to clean water. It cries for conservation, infrastructure development, and equitable distribution of resources.

In short, the humble plea of 250 tribespeople merits a ripple effect that could swell into a tidal wave of change. For not only in their tiny villages, but in countless hamlets, towns, and cities across India does the fundamental question still simmer: Water for all – can we rise to quench this call?