Women and water in western Rajasthan

People in the worst-affected areas of western Rajasthan that third consecutive year of drought had been the worst drought year in many years. Normally they call a famine Akaal. Virtually the entire Rajasthan has been affected, with 26 of its 32 districts coming under drought and near-famine conditions. About 50 per cent of the affected population belong to the poor community. A substantial percentage of the sufferers have been small and marginal farmers or landless agricultural workers.

An observer once remarked that the poor in the village would face hardships with a smile and seldom give themselves up. It is probably this will to live at any cost that enables them to survive this cruel summer even in the absence of credible and sustainable support mechanisms. Folk songs on drought and famine, therefore, are not uncommon in some parts of the State.

Women face more hardships rather than men during drought time. They are spending more around 5 to 8 hour per day to fetching water specially from poor community. Women are most accountable among the family to care children and cattle in western part of Rajasthan. They also working in MNREGA site to earn some money and fulfil basic requirement of family.

Sahaj is doing efforts to provide water resource to needy family at their home. For this, Sahaj constructing rain water Taanka from last 7 years in western Rajasthan.

Drought frequency in Rajasthan