Bhopal/Panna: "If there is no water, how do we farm? And if farming fails, how do we run our homes?"

These words from Mandhari Adivasi of Makdi Kuthar village in Panna district sum up the devastating water crisis gripping the Bundelkhand region. Mandhari recalls that farming was once their mainstay, but now they are forced to depend entirely on erratic rainfall. Often, they don’t even dare to sow seeds, fearing that a lack of rain will render their labor useless.

This year, he planted wheat on 5 acres but yielded only 10 quintals- so little that even feeding the family has become a struggle. “Now the crop gets ruined. Our hard work goes in vain,” he says.

As summer begins, Bundelkhand is once again sinking into a severe water crisis. In Panna district, conditions are turning alarming. Ponds are drying up, groundwater levels are plummeting, and handpumps and tube wells are failing. A ground report by The Mooknayak reveals that hundreds of villages in the district are battling an acute drinking water shortage, where water is no longer just a necessity but a daily battle for survival.

Images from Makdi Kuthar village, home to about 1,500 people, paint a stark picture. Women, children, and men from the tribal hamlet can be seen carrying buckets and containers, walking nearly a kilometer to the only active water source. Over half the village has already migrated for daily wage labor.

Fetching water here is not a chore: it’s a full day’s labor. Every family member, from morning onward, is engaged in arranging water. Young children are seen hauling water instead of going to school.

A Daily Struggle, the Cost of Every Drop

Water scarcity has crippled every aspect of life in Makdi Kuthar. The lack of clean drinking water has pushed hygiene, bathing, and other essential tasks aside. People are forced to manage with very limited water, raising health risks.

The village is primarily inhabited by the Gond tribe, whose livelihood once depended entirely on farming. But falling water tables and unpredictable rains have devastated their way of life. Poor yields have cut incomes, forcing many families into labor or migration. Water scarcity is no longer just a problem - it’s a looming threat to their survival and future.

10 Quintals of Wheat on 5 Acres

Mandhari’s story reflects the depth of the crisis. He says farming was once their backbone, but without water, it’s nearly impossible. “If there’s good rain, we farm. Otherwise, we do labor,” he explains.

This year, he hoped for the best and sowed wheat on 5 acres, but the yield was just 10 quintals - far too little to support his five-member family for the year. Costs are rising, production is falling, and now they must depend on wage labor to meet daily needs.

Mandhari says 2024 was a year of complete loss. Rainfall was so scanty that he didn’t even dare to farm. “When it doesn’t rain, there’s no point working the land,” he says. Timely rainfall once ensured good harvests; now, uncertainty dominates. “The crop is destroyed. Our labor yields nothing,” he laments, his voice filled with despair. The recurring crisis has shaken his faith in farming.

Recurring Drought: A Familiar Torment

Panna is part of the Bundelkhand region, where drought is not a one-time disaster but a recurring reality. Over the last two decades, years like 2002-03, 2012-13, 2015-16, and recently 2023-24 have seen significantly below-normal rainfall, leading to dried-up ponds, falling water tables, and ruined crops. The problem lies not just in low rainfall but also in its uneven distribution, poor water management, over-extraction of groundwater, and neglect of traditional water bodies. Every 2–3 years, the region faces drought-like conditions, directly impacting tribal livelihoods.

An elderly woman told The Mooknayak that the crisis has consumed their entire day. “From morning to evening, everyone- women, men, children , is just trying to get water. Other work and even children’s studies are affected. The only priority is water,” she said.

Disheartened by water scarcity and crop failure, many families are giving up farming. Mandhari says his son and others roam around the village looking for daily labor- sometimes they find work, sometimes they return empty-handed. The uncertain income from farming has weakened their financial condition.

This is not limited to Makdi Kuthar but is becoming the larger reality of Bundelkhand. Water crisis has not only affected farming but has pushed people away from their land and traditional livelihoods. Many have migrated to cities; those who remain survive on daily wages.

Jal Jeevan Mission Pipeline Incomplete

At the village entrance stands a large water tank built under the Jal Jeevan Mission. On paper, it is meant to be a permanent solution. But on the ground, the tank has remained incomplete for over a year. Though the structure is up and pipelines are laid, not a single drop has been supplied.

Villagers say work has been going on for years, but so slowly that no one has benefited. Even after pipelines were laid, there is no hope of water reaching homes.

Rajju Patel, Deputy Sarpanch of the village, told The Mooknayak that Makdi Kuthar is a forest-area tribal village lacking basic amenities. “The tank construction has been going on for a year but isn’t finished. Worse, no one even knows where the water will come from or how it will be lifted to this elevated village,” he said. With about 1,200 voters, most depend on farming. “If the water system isn’t fixed soon, the situation will worsen,” he warned.

Rambai Gaund Lakshmi, Women’s Wing President of the Jai Adivasi Sangathan (JAYS), said most villages in Panna are facing an acute water crisis. “The administration should make alternative water arrangements, but no effective effort is visible on the ground,” she said. She alleged that in many villages, pipelines under Jal Jeevan Mission were laid and even tested a year ago, yet water supply has not started. “Schemes are completed on paper, but benefits aren’t reaching people,” she added.

The Mooknayak team’s visit revealed that water crisis conditions are severe in hundreds of Panna’s villages - Makdi Kuthar, Ahirguwan, Amjhiria, Bagonha, and others. With the onset of summer, water sources dry up rapidly. Handpumps are on the verge of failing, tube wells are defunct, and traditional sources like ponds and wells are nearly extinct. People are forced to depend on distant sources, making daily life even harder.

In these Bundelkhand villages, the water crisis is no longer seasonal- it has become a permanent crisis. Lack of water has deeply impacted lives, livelihoods, and the future. When a person cannot access clean drinking water, it is a direct blow to their right to a dignified life.

Under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution (Right to Life), the Supreme Court has clearly held that access to clean drinking water is part of the right to a dignified existence. The persistent water shortage in Panna is not just a development issue - it raises a serious question of constitutional rights violation.