No Water, Only Empty Taps In Baiga-Dominated Villages Of Chhattisgarh This Summer
Villagers forced to descend into wells to drink contaminated water in some places.
Published : April 25, 2026 at 2:17 PM IST
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi: In the forest-dwelling Baiga-dominated villages in Chhattisgarh, the tribals are grappling with a severe drinking water crisis this year amid a scorching summer.
The government's ambitious scheme, the 'Jal Jeevan Mission', has failed miserably in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district where the Baiga community live in large numbers. Overhead tanks and tap connections stand like 'white elephants'— monuments of futility — leaving villagers without a single drop of water for years.
Out of sheer desperation, villagers are forced to descend into wells to draw water -- they somehow filter the muddy water to make it potable and use it for their daily chores.
"We filter and drink muddy, foul-smelling water. The hardship is immense—what else can we do?" says Babulal Baiga of Peeparkhunti village.
Amid the scorching heat, the men and women of the village gather around a single well, battling to secure drinking water.
The village is situated in Gaurela block and is home to nearly 35 to 40 Baiga families. The daily quest for water plays out like a tug-of-war.
According to villagers, one person places a ladder into the well and climbs down. Once inside, he painstakingly collects the muddy water, drop by drop, into a bucket.
He then calls out to the person standing above, who pulls up the bucket using a rope tied to it. The issue is not unique to Peeparkhunti village. A similar situation prevails in Bedkhodra under the Karangra gram panchayat. There, despite the implementation of the 'Nal Jal Yojana', the water supply lines are not yet connected to households over the past two years, nor has an overhead water tank been installed.
In both villages, tenders have been issued for projects worth over Rs 1 crore each, said officials.
"When we climb down into the well, we manage to get just one small potful of water each for drinking. It is dirty, it is muddy—but what choice do we have?" asks Babulal Baiga.
During monsoon and winter, the villagers just manage to survive. As soon as summer arrives and the water table drops, a severe crisis on drinking water and daily domestic needs arises. Consequently, families take turns descending into the well using a ladder to filter the muddy water before carrying it back home.
"We aren't getting any water. If we were getting water, why would we be raising a cry? A tap connection here is as rare as a bridegroom. There is only one borewell, and even that runs dry," said Babulal Baiga.
"There are 30 to 40 households here, and we are all Baigas. Taps have been installed, but no water flows through them. Not a single official has even bothered to visit and inspect the situation," said Ashru Baiga, another villager.
"We descend into the well and draw water with extreme caution to ensure that the water does not get contaminated. The officials simply pay no heed to our plight. We have no other source of water available to us," said Del Singh Baiga, another villager.
The villagers state that the very well from which they have been sourcing their drinking water has partially collapsed. The well is in urgent need of repair. They have even lodged complaints with the 'Panchs' and the 'Sarpanch'.
"We have to walk a kilometre just to get water — and even then, it is dirty. It has been over four years since the water taps were installed, yet there is no water. We are compelled to filter the water before drinking it. We have spoken to everyone—the 'sarpanch', the 'panchs'—but no one pays any attention," says Phadiya Bai, another villager.
"It has been four years since the tap connections were installed, yet we have no idea when the water will actually start flowing. The water tank has been constructed, but the borewell has failed. There is a severe water crisis here, and the well has not been repaired either," says Dev Pratap Rajput, deputy sarpanch.
The Executive Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department has laid the blame for irregularities within the Jal Jeevan Mission squarely on the contractors. The department asserts that it is working on a priority basis to ensure that water supply reaches the Baiga villages.
Notices have been issued to the contractors repeatedly, they said. Should the work remain unfinished despite these warnings, their contracts will be terminated, the department said.
Amid this scorching heat—which has left the Baiga tribals distressed over water scarcity—the department is still unable to provide a specific timeline for completion, noting only that the government has set a target of 2027, towards which the department is working with earnestness.
"In areas facing groundwater issues, requests for handpumps have been submitted to the Tribal Development Department. We also have our own departmental targets to meet," said Priya Soni, Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department.
"We will complete the work regarding tap-water connections shortly. While I cannot provide a precise timeline, we have been assigned a target to complete all schemes by 2027. The department will keep a strict watch on negligent contractors," she said.
Also Read:
Chhattisgarh: Villagers Forced To Drink Contaminated Water Amid Persistent Supply Crisis
Against All Odds, 60 Women Transform Chhattisgarh Village Into A Thriving Self-Reliant Economy
