INDAL KASHYAP
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh: “Since 2021, I have been working as a water tester and training other women to test drinking water in the Bundelkhand region,” says Nitu Singh, a training leader. “Till now we have worked with a total of fifty gram panchayats from the region. The women make around twenty rupees per water test. The income generated through this has improved our individual livelihoods,” she adds.
Jal Jeevan Mission is a Central scheme which aims to provide each household with potable drinking water, with over 2.5 crore families targeted in Uttar Pradesh. So far, 4,87,955 rural women have been trained in water testing in the state. The scheme is proving to be a saviour for the people of Bundelkhand not only in terms of providing clean drinking water, but also introducing employment generating opportunities for rural women towards achieving a self reliant livelihood.
Contaminated water is a breeding ground for diseases, and a source of suffering for many families in the villages of Bundelkhand. “Diseases and infections had become a frequent part of our livelihoods. We had to spend a lot of money on getting treated for these diseases which were spreading through impure water,” says Rani Chadhar (18) while expressing how families were only a couple medical bills away from going bankrupt.
However, things have taken a turn for the better, with the likes of Rani and her family benefiting on two fronts – water and income security. “Once I started earning through the water testing program, I could save that money and hand it over to my mother. The water testing worked successfully and the spread of diseases stopped. Families had to no longer spend on these kinds of medical expenses,” states Rani.
“She gives me the money she earns from water testing assignments and we use it for household expenses for the family, and paying school fees for my children,” says Rani’s mother who used to travel two kilometers everyday to provide drinking water for their house. Walking on foot while carrying heavy vessels filled with water was a tedious task for her and used to take up most of her day. “Now my mother focuses on the children and the family. I have four sisters and one brother,” Rani added.
Speaking about the water testing process, Nitu says these water samples undergo eleven odd tests before determining whether they are safe for consumption or not.
The group travels from one village to another, and collects water samples. The quality of water coming from different sources like taps, pipes, tube wells, and wells are tested thoroughly.
According to her, many of the women are well educated. Some even have a master’s degree, yet they are out of jobs. “This program has given us a chance to earn a self-reliant, sustainable livelihood,” says Nitu Singh.
(Indal Kashyap is a Uttar Pradesh-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
