In Chambal, ex-dacoits' wives turn water warriors to battle drought
KARAULI (RAJASTHAN): Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home.
Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood.
With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1mm (1951-2000) to 563.94mm (2001-2011), according to govt data.
But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms.
Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars (water bodies) with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
40대 이상이세요? 한 번 시작하면 멈출 수 없어요. 준비되셨나요?
Sea of Conquest
플레이하기
Undo
She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalled Jagdish, Sampatti's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace.
Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the pokhar was filled and for the first time in years, their family had enough water to sustain them for a longer period.
"Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about Rs 1 lakh each season.
Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across district, each capturing runoff from the slopes, preventing droughts and floods.
Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation.
The district is part of Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits.
"With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning," said Karauli SP Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay.
He said rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. "Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain."
Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University & a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops it from soaking into the ground.
"With all this going on, smart water management is really important."
The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, it holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface," said TBS' Ranveer Singh.
Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, a Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS.
A 2013 study by National Institute of Miners' Health found that 74% of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis.
Now, on a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. But our women made this possible!" said Ranveer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
LKG, UKG classes to commence in 120 anganwadis this year
Hubballi: In a move to strengthen early childhood education at govt-run anganwadi centres, the women and child welfare department will introduce LKG and UKG classes at 120 centres in the district starting this academic year. The education department has already initiated similar efforts in govt primary schools. The state govt earlier announced the launch of pre-primary education in various districts, which is now being implemented. Admitting children to pre-KG has become expensive in private institutions. Today, the obsession with English-medium schools has increased among parents. Parents want their children to study in convents even if they have to work. This is also causing enrolment in govt schools to decline. Realising this, the Women and Child Welfare Department decided to teach pre-primary education across the state. Through this, it started an effort to attract parents to govt Anganwadis. There is a rising demand for LKG/UKG in schools among parents, especially in rural areas. To prevent kids from enrolling in private and other schools, the decision was made to start LKG education across the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Online Degrees: Boost Your Salary and Change Your Life! Online Degree Search Now Undo However, the education department has started with pre-KG in more than 100 schools since last year. In the district, PM SHRI schools that have started pre-KG are running at full strength. The classrooms for these children have been designed to be attractive and colourful. Deputy Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Dharwad, Huligemma Kukanur, said that there are 1,622 anganwadis functioning in the district. The department asked for a list of anganwadis to start pre-KG classes. Therefore, a list of 120 anganwadis has been sent to the govt for approval. Soon, after directions from the govt, the classes will start, she said. Shobha Karikatti, a contract teacher at PM SHRI School, Amargol, said that in UKG, 35 children and in LKG, 27 children were admitted, running at full strength. Teaching methods are different in private institutions. Activity-based education is our first priority. For that, we revised many toys, materials, flashcards, notes for teachers, etc. Pre-KG teachers will be trained at the District Institute of Education and Training every year. The English language is also included for children. For the intellectual and mental development of children, activity-based teaching is provided, she said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Edu dept seeks report on CU hostel beam fall
1 2 3 Kolkata: The state higher education department has requested a report from Calcutta University after a wooden slab from the ceiling fell on an empty bed at the CU ladies' hostel in Beadon Row early on Friday morning. Higher education department sources said a letter would be sent to the university next week. A wooden beam in room number 17 on the first floor of the PG Lady Students' Hall at Beadon Row collapsed onto an empty bed belonging to a final-year PG student who was fortunately not present at that moment. Two other boarders in that room were affected when dust from concrete and wood fell on them. After the incident, university engineers visited the site, and renovation work will be undertaken soon by a govt agency. A higher education department official told TOI, "This is a very serious matter about which we will ask for a report from the university next week." On Saturday, several boarders were seen leaving the hostel with their luggage. Krishna Roy, a Bengali final-year PG student and All India Democratic Students' Organisation's president of the College Street campus unit, who was in the adjacent room, said, "I heard something heavy fall from the ceiling and immediately came out of my room, which is next to it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo The building is 170 years old and has not been maintained properly. " Calcutta University's interim vice-chancellor Santa Datta Dey said, "Arrangements have been made in some rooms at the PG hostel at Viharilal College and the guest house at Ballygunge to shift the students from the hostel. However, some of the girls do not want to shift as they have exams from June 24 and prefer to stay in the same neighbourhood as it is closer to the university." Boarders have been relocated to six other CU hostels. A university source said the hostel operates in a rented building, and the authorities will seek legal advice before initiating repair work.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Training prog for civil defence volunteers kicks off in UT
1 2 3 Chandigarh: Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria formally inaugurated the Civil Defence Volunteer Training Programme at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) on Saturday. The inauguration also marked the beginning of the programme's first batch of volunteers. Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav welcomed the volunteers with a heartfelt address, assuring full support from the Chandigarh administration. He reflected on the overwhelming public response to the initiative launched post Operation Sindoor, where a modest registration camp at Tagore Theatre on May 10 drew an unexpected crowd of over 5,000 citizens, far surpassing the anticipated 800. This surge of civic enthusiasm led to the selection of 1,600 volunteers from a pool of 7,300 registrants for the first phase of training. These volunteers will be trained in four batches of 400, undergoing a six-day intensive programme that includes sessions at MGSIPA, the fire department, Western Command Army, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Looking ahead, a valedictory ceremony in mid-July will celebrate the volunteers' commitment, where they will receive certificates, uniforms, and ID cards. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo The city's civil defence structure will be organized into a pyramid command system, ensuring efficient localised disaster management. At the top will be the chief controller, followed by chief wardens, deputy chief wardens, post wardens, sector wardens, and finally the wardens, who will directly oversee the volunteers. Home secretary Mandip Brar emphasized the importance of proactive preparedness, saying, "What truly defines a city is not just how it responds to a disaster, but how prepared it is before the disaster strikes." Kataria urged citizens to embrace the spirit of responsibility, resilience, and readiness, encouraging enthusiastic participation and execution of duties when needed. Volunteers took a solemn pledge, echoing the civil defence motto: "Working for the benefit of all." Among the many inspired citizens is Monika Thakur, a resident of Sector 20, who discovered the programme through Instagram. Driven by a sense of duty, she stepped forward to contribute to the safety and security of her city.
