Click to play videoBettiah (Bihar): Imagine walking into another country for your daily need of drinking water. That's exactly what some people have been doing in a village in Bihar.
It's a daily walk for survival for the villagers of Bhikhnathori on the Indo-Nepal border near Bettiah in Bihar – a 2-km walk into the forests of Nepal for drinking water.
"Yaha ke mahila bache saab log pathar paat ke Nepal ke jangal main pani ke liye jate hai. Bahut dur padta hai, waha maowadi hai, daar lagta hai (Women and children walk long distances to get water. There is also fear of the Maoists)," said Munna Paswan, a resident of Bhikhnathori.
The forest along the international border has long sheltered the Maoists who are now joining the mainstream in Nepal. But whether they are present or absent, villagers never really have had any options.
"2 km ake Nepal ke jangal main Indian beti bahu ake pani le jati hai. Kaun Sarkar yaha pani ka sadhan kaar raha hai? (Indian ladies travel over 2 km daily to fetch water. What has the government done?)," asked Phulwariya Devi, another resident of the village.
Water saves life, and at the same water is also diminishing the international boundaries at Bhikhnathori. And a fear of Maoists guns takes a back seat for people living on the Indian side of the border, when they need water to keep themselves afloat.
But for the government, this does not seem to be much of an issue.
"Aap log jadu ki chadui samajh rahe hain kya? Hum log kosis kaar rahe hai (You can't expect results so soon. Even after years of independence there are many issues that remain pending)," said Minister of Public Health and Engineering Department of Bihar Prem Kumar.
Women walking long distances to fetch water is still a sad reality in many an Indian village. But rarely does one walk into a foreign country to fetch water.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
