Administration Launches Investigation into Restrictions on Dalit Women's Access to Tube Wells in MP Village

Bhopal- The recent outcry from Dalit women in Sihore district in Madhya Pradesh, who have voiced concerns over restrictions on their access to water sources, has sparked an investigative process to delve into the matter.

In a troubling scenario, these women have reported being denied the basic right to collect water from tube wells, prompting authorities to launch a thorough examination of the situation.

The administration is currently investigating the issue. Initial findings by the Tehsildar indicate that the tube wells in question were constructed on private land. The administration is currently delving deeper into this matter.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, Sehore SDM Tanmay Verma stated that the Collector had directed to address the written complaint filed by the women of Muskara village. Allegations in the complaint suggested that the women were prohibited from accessing water from tube wells due to caste discrimination.

A team of officials, including Naib Tehsildar Siddhant Singh, was dispatched to conduct an on-site investigation. Preliminary findings indicate a water shortage in the village. With the tap water scheme incomplete, women from the village rely on tube wells on private properties for water. However, due to water scarcity, landowners have restricted access to these tube wells, prompting the women to seek intervention from the collector's office.

The administration clarified that an investigation is underway, and if any instances of caste-based discrimination against women are substantiated, appropriate legal action will be taken. Thus far, no cases have been registered against anyone.

Background of the Issue

Recently, Dalit women from Muskara village in Sehore district, facing a drinking water crisis, took their grievances to the Collectorate. They submitted a complaint letter to Deputy Collector Vandana Rajput, alleging that upper-caste individuals in the village were denying them access to water from private tube wells. The women urged the district administration to address the issue by initiating hand pump installation in Balmiki, Malviya, and Kumhar localities of the village.

In their complaint, women from the Muskra Gram Panchayat expressed dissatisfaction with the village Sarpanch and Secretary's inaction in resolving the water problem. They highlighted that 108 families, predominantly laborers, residing in Balmiki Mohalla, Malviya Mohalla, and Kumhar Mohalla, faced severe water scarcity despite the construction of a water tank.

The complainants alleged that influential individuals from the village, belonging to the the upper caste, restricted the women's access to water from their private tube wells, exacerbating the water crisis for both humans and livestock.

Villagers including Sulochana, Nandi, Sarita, Sara, Dhankuwar, Mamta, Radhabai, Shyam, Kantabai, Rajkumar, Gaura, Sumitra, and Reena, rallied together to demand a resolution to the water problem from the Collector.

-Story Translated by Geetha Sunil Pillai

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