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Patalkot's water woes: Contaminated water haunts tribal villages

Gulvati Uikey reflects on the loss of her mother during the monsoons of 2024. She blames her mother’s illness and eventual death for consuming contaminated water.

By Chandrapratap Tiwari
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Patalkot Contaminated water issue

A young man filling water from a Jhiriya (Natural Water Spring) in Kaream village Photograph: (Ground Report)

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In Madhya Pradesh's Patalkot Valley, a tribal village nestled 1,200 to 1,500 feet deep beneath a lush, emerald-green canopy of hills, Gulvati Uikey reflects on the loss of her mother during the monsoons of 2024. She blames her mother’s illness and eventual death for consuming contaminated water. Patalkot, often hailed as a 'monsoon travel hotspot,' is home to the Bharias, a tribe classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). 

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Despite recent developments, including paved roads and concrete homes, the valley's villages continue to grapple with severe water challenges every monsoon. Unsafe drinking water has led to recurring outbreaks of illness, with some cases proving fatal. For Uikey and others in the community, waterborne diseases remain a grim reality during the rainy season, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions. 

A woman died in Chimtipur village of Chhindwara due to diarrhea
Gulwati recalling incident when she lost her mother due to diarrhea Photograph: (Ground Report)

Located in the hilly valleys of the Chhindwara district, Patalkot has 12 villages primarily inhabited by the Bharia and Gond tribes, totalling about 2,000 people. The Gond tribe is found in other parts of Madhya Pradesh, but the Bharia tribe is primarily found in Patalkot. 

Local myths portray the Bharias as a community that lives primitively or even thought of as dwarfs. However, in reality, things are different on the ground. The community has not been able to isolate itself from the wave of modernity. Concrete houses in place of traditional mud homes and contemporary clothing have given to their traditional tribal attire.

Today, it is not these myths that trouble the people of Patalkot but the water they consume. Villagers are compelled to drink contaminated water during the monsoon, leading to frequent cases of diarrhoea and even fatalities due to inadequate healthcare facilities. The monsoon season occurs in the region between July and September and the post-monsoon season from October till November. Chhindwara and Betul have a sub-tropical climate. Like most of north India, it has a hot, dry summer (April-June) followed by monsoon rains (July-September) and a cool and relatively dry winter.

Patalkot’s tribal community faces recurring waterborne diseases due to unsafe drinking water worsened by the region's rocky terrain and inadequate healthcare. Despite development efforts like roads and concrete homes, many villages still lack reliable water sources and healthcare access. While little infrastructural ‘development’ is visible, it is ill-equipped to address the community’s pressing needs for clean water and healthcare, leaving them vulnerable during the monsoon season.

Dependence on 'Jhiriya'

The primary water source in Patalkot is the Dudhi River, which flows down the mountains into the villages. Water collects on a rock formation known as ‘Jhiria,’ a natural structure providing water year-round. However, during the monsoon, the water carries dirt and mud, making it unsafe to drink. Without alternatives, the villagers are compelled to use this polluted water.

Uikey shares that her mother, who was only 42 years old, fell ill from the contaminated water and died en route to the hospital. She shares how, during the monsoon, many people fall ill due to the dirty water.

Water woes of Patalkot

Contaminated water tribals use in Patalkot
Muddy water that Tribals in Kaream use for their household works, Photograph: (Ground Report)

Uikey’s claims were supported by a report in a Hindi daily, which revealed that two people died of diarrhoea, a waterborne disease, within a week in July last year. The victims included 50-year-old Amarvati Bharti from Chimtipur and two-year-old Sharda Bharti from Rated.

Additionally, according to Dainik Bhaskar, a prominent regional publication, 20 residents of Chimtipur sought treatment for diarrhoea at Tamia Hospital, with 13 requiring admission. The situation worsened as the number of patients suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea continued to rise in the medical ward of Chhindwara District Hospital. Reportedly, the crisis escalated to the point where over 80 patients were admitted to a ward designed for just 48 beds, forcing many to receive treatment on the hospital floor due to a shortage of space.

According to media reports, as the situation worsened, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department—tasked with ensuring access to clean drinking water, sanitation, and related public health services—conducted a door-to-door survey in Chimtipur. Senior health officials also assessed the situation on the ground. To prevent villagers from consuming contaminated water, the affected water source was covered with green mats. Additionally, a board was placed near the source with a warning message to advise people not to drink the water. 

Tribals in Patalkot
Sohan Bharti of Kareaam Village explains how water problem increase during heavy rainy season Photograph: (Ground Report)

Meanwhile, the villagers of Kareaam and Chimtipur continue to grapple with persistent water issues. Despite filtering and boiling, the water remains muddy and unsafe for consumption. Sohan Bharti from Kareaam explains how heavy rains exacerbate the problem, forcing villagers to rely on contaminated water for days. Reportedly, another resident, 60-year-old Mathelal Uikey, recounts falling severely ill with diarrhoea last year. 

Dr. Vikas Sharma, who works in tribal areas, reports that during the monsoon, 25-30 tribal people were admitted to Tamia Hospital, with 15-20 others in Chhindwara Hospital due to waterborne diseases.

The Missing Mission

Janman Scheme in Chhindwara
PM JANMAN painted board in Chimtipur highlights objective of the scheme Photograph: (Ground Report)

Chimtipur village prominently displays a board indicating the government's PM Janman 2.0 programme, an initiative that aims to improve healthcare access through digital health IDs, telemedicine, and integrated health services, focusing on efficiency and preventive care. The board also had ‘Har ghar nal se jal' (tap water to every house) written as one of their top objectives. A scheme was introduced to provide a functional tap water connection to every rural household. However, the ground reality was different. Many households still lack tap connections, and the borewells installed by the government are dry. 

Why is it hard to find groundwater in Patalkot?

Rocky Terrain of Patalkot
Rocky terrain of Patalkot Photograph: (Ground Report)

Rugged landscape of Patalkot presents significant challenges in establishing a reliable water supply system. Accessing groundwater is particularly difficult in the Archaean or granite rocks, as these hard, crystalline rocks have low porosity and permeability. With minimal space between mineral grains, water has very limited movement through these rocks, making it hard to extract substantial amounts of groundwater unless fractures or weathered zones are present to allow for water flow. Essentially, water remains trapped within the rock matrix, with little ability to move freely. While sourcing drinking water from groundwater may seem challenging in Patalkot, the lack of adequate healthcare facilities makes the situation even more critical.

Many households in Chimtipur are experiencing dry taps, contradicting the claims made on the official Jal Jeevan Mission website, which states that the village has 48 homes, all with tap water connections. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different. While many houses have borewells, the taps remain dry. Similarly, the website shows that several other villages have 100% tap water coverage, yet in places like Dundishikhar and Kumdi, only 22% and 7% of households actually have functioning taps with water. 

Water Crisis in Patalkot Chhindwara
There is no piped water connectivity in Patalkot Villages Photograph: (Ground Report)

The Water Mission  is a flagship initiative by the Government of India, launched in 2019 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Its primary objective is to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all rural households in India by 2024.

It might  seem difficult to ensure drinking water through groundwater in Patalkot, but the non-availability of better health facilities makes the situation more critical.

Lack of Health Facilities and Ambulances

Rishi Kumar Bharti from Chimtipur draws attention to the severe lack of medical facilities in the area. The hospital in Tamia, located 36 km away, is difficult to access due to the winding mountain roads. In some cases, villagers have to transport patients on motorcycles or even tie them to a cot and carry them to the hospital, often making their condition worse. Dr. Vikas Sharma also emphasises that even Tamia’s medical facilities are inadequate, forcing villagers to travel another 56 km to Chhindwara, frequently without enough money or access to an ambulance.

“I often receive calls about patients being referred to private hospitals, but there's no money for an ambulance. I have tried repeatedly to arrange transportation with the help of friends and acquaintances,” Dr. Sharma adds.

During Ground Report’s visit in Patalkot, the reporter experienced firsthand the difficulty of obtaining an ambulance. When a vehicle crashed into a tree, severely injuring a person, the reporter attempted to call for an ambulance, but it never arrived. Eventually, the reporter had to transport the injured person to a hospital in Tamia in his own car.

In light of these incidents, one must ask—isn't it crucial to put proper systems in place to address waterborne diseases in advance, ensuring patients can receive appropriate treatment either in Tamia or nearby villages?

It’s important to note that development work is underway in these villages under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Man Scheme, which includes objectives such as road construction, housing, water supply to every household, mobile hospitals, and medicine. Roads and houses were being built, but  mobile hospitals and medical supplies were conspicuously absent.

Chimtipur village is situated along the road, but many other villages in Patalkot still lack road access. In these areas, travelling from one village to another can take hours on foot, making it incredibly difficult for patients to reach the hospital. Meanwhile, although tourist vehicles traverse the roads where they exist, ambulances remain unable to navigate these routes.

Today, while visible development can be seen in Patalkot—roads extending to remote corners, urban vehicles running on them, concrete homes, and homestays—the question remains: what is the use of roads if patients must be carried on a cot for 35 kilometres? What value does this development hold if it remains unprepared for the inevitable health crises that arise? Ultimately, in a place where local residents struggle to access clean water during the monsoon, the focus on ecotourism seems disconnected from the region’s most pressing needs.

Edited by Diwash Gahatraj

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