Jal Sahelis (translated as friends of water[1]) are group of women from Bundelkhand who are engaged in reviving dry water bodies. The women in the group are illiterate or semi literate. Their hard efforts resulted in development of villages in the region in many ways.
History
editJal Sahelis was formed in 2005 with group of women from Madhogarh village in Jalaun Tehsil of the Bundelkhand region.[2][3] It is a group of around 1000 women engaged in improving 200 villages.[4][5] Their efforts are spread over 7 districts in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.[6][7] The women in the group are aged in the group of 18 years to 70 years.[5] To resolve water crises they conduct meetings with local panchayat bodies. The women in the area earlier had to walk long distances for a pot of water and the area also lost agriculture productivity due to water shortages.[8][9][10] Around 100 villages in four districts of Uttar Pradesh could resolve water issues due to their efforts.[1] In 2022, they released a manifesto for political parties on environmental conservation.[11][12]
Efforts
editTheir efforts led to improvements in socio-economic development, in agriculture productivity, construction of a check dam,[3] digging wells, constructing reservoirs, installing and repairing handpumps, creating soak pits,[5] digging ponds,[13] lake building,[14] alleviation of caste-related fights over water.[4]
Award
edit- The United Nations Development Programme awarded the group with the Water Champion Award.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "An oasis of hope in parched Bundelkhand". The New Indian Express. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "'Water women' quench thirst of central India's parched villages". news.trust.org. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Jal Sahelis: How women across Bundelkhand are reviving water harvesting techniques". Firstpost. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ a b Tiwari, Sadhika (23 March 2022). "Women Who Fought Drought: The Story of Jal Sahelis in Parched Bundelkhand". TheQuint. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Dutta, Taniya (22 March 2022). "How India's women 'water warriors' turned arid villages into plentiful oases". The National. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Not all heroes wear capes, some fight amongst us | India Water Portal". indiawaterportal.org. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Empowering Jal Sahelis – women water warriors of rural India". Welthungerhilfe. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "How Bundelkhand Women Are Trying To Revive Disappeared Water Bodies". NDTV.com. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "In UP, Women-Led Collectives Are Taking On Bundelkhand's Water Problem". NDTV.com. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "In Parched Bundelkhand, Army of 735 'Water' Women Breathe Life into 150 Villages!". The Better India. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Bundelkhand "Jal Sahelis" release 'public manifesto' for 2022 UP polls". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "UP Panchayat Election 2021: 'Jal Sahelis' of Jhansi Enter Fray to Solve Water Scarcity Issue". News18. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "News On AIR - News Services Division, All India Radio News". newsonair.gov.in. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ Singh, Ankita (18 January 2021). "Jal Sahelis: Reviving Parched Areas In Bundelkhand, Solving Water Woes". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Social organisation recognised on World Water Day". Hindustan Times. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.