Monsoon Brings No Relief To Chhattisgarh's Baiga-Dominated Villagers, Water Crisis Only Intensifying
With little rains, they remain dependent on traditional wells and 'thodis' for both domestic use and drinking water.
Published : July 9, 2026 at 4:28 PM IST
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi: Although monsoon has arrived in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district, bringing only three to four days of rain so far, the drinking water crisis in most areas is intensifying rather than abating.
Though people had hoped that the rain would resolve their water woes, that has not happened. The conditions remain dire in the remote Baiga-dominated villages of Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi.
Families belonging to the Baiga community—a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) often referred to as the 'President's adopted children'—continue to struggle for access to clean drinking water.
They remain dependent on traditional wells and 'thodis' (small, shallow water pits) for both domestic use and drinking water.
Solar-powered drinking water tanks have been installed in the Chhotki Dadar area of Rajmergarh (Gaurela block), but they cannot operate regularly due to insufficient water yield from the borewells.
"We come here to fetch water for bathing and drinking. It is very difficult. No one pays any attention," said Bhagvati Baiga, a resident of Chhoti Dadar.
Consequently, many families are forced to travel one to one-and-a-half kilometres to fetch water from the tanks, often waiting for up to an hour-and-a-half. Natural water sources are scarce due to the hilly terrain.
Further, despite the failure to find water, multiple borewells were drilled one after another, yet they remain dry—serving as nothing more than 'white elephants' that have only exacerbated the crisis.
Meanwhile, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tap connections have been provided to households, but most taps have remained dry for a long time.
The benefits of this multi-crore rupee scheme appear to exist only on paper.
The situation is much the same in the villages of Salheghori, Bendrapani, and Chhindpani within the Gaurela block.
Baiga families living here still rely on wells and 'thodis' to meet their daily water needs, including drinking water.
Villagers state that the household taps have been non-functional for months, and no one has taken any action to address the issue.
"We don't get water at home, so we come to fetch water from the well. We filter it before drinking," said Kali Bai, a resident of Bendrapani.
It is worth noting that in 2025, a diarrhea outbreak had reached epidemic proportions in the Salheghori, Bendrapani, and Chhindpani areas of the Gaurela development block.
Some members of the Baiga tribe even lost their lives due to vomiting and diarrhea. At that time, the health department organized medical camps in the villages and arranged for water tankers to supply drinking water.
"People even drink water from 'dhodhis' (shallow, open water pits). Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water was supplied for a month, but the service was subsequently discontinued. There is a severe water crisis. Last year, an outbreak of disease occurred, resulting in four deaths," said Ram Pal Baiga, a resident of Chhindpani.
Although a borehole was subsequently drilled to provide water, it ceased functioning after just a few days, leaving the situation unresolved. No permanent solution for drinking water has been established since.
Villagers allege that this year, too, the department concerned has limited its responsibility to merely adding chlorine to drinking water sources, without taking any effective steps to ensure a regular and safe supply of drinking water. Consequently, there is a lingering fear of a resurgence of waterborne diseases in these Baiga-dominated villages.
The villagers have demanded that the administration urgently ensure a permanent drinking water supply.
"Rajmergarh is a hilly region. Water is found at depths exceeding 200 feet there. Hand pumps are generally ineffective in such conditions, as they typically require a water level within 30 metres (100 feet). This creates challenges for us. We have identified the villages prone to diarrhea outbreaks. Before the onset of the monsoon, we treated the drinking water sources with disinfectants to eliminate any risk of diarrhea transmission via the water supply. The department strives to locate viable water sources, but the work is difficult due to the hilly terrain," said Suresh Ekka, SDO, Public Health Engineering Department.
It remains to be seen how the administration addresses this matter and when it will arrange for clean drinking water for the Baiga tribals living in this area.
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