In an era when land disputes are often bloody and precious human lives are lost, a shepherd in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Dindori district has donated his land to quench his village’s long-standing thirst.
Build an overhead water tank
Meet 57-year-old shepherd Thenku Prasad Banwasi, who has donated 1,000 square feet of land from his three acres of land to allow the state’s public health engineering (PHE) department to build an overhead water tank, which holds the promise of putting an end to the long-standing water woes of 4,500 residents of Bargaon village in Shahpura block of Dindori district.
“Though my livelihood emanates from taking the cattle of our villagers daily for grazing on the grassland, the small tract of land helps me grow something for my family. But growing something for the family becomes secondary in front of the long standing water woes of the villagers. I’ve donated a part of the land to ensure that the water tank will end the water woes forever.”
“I appeal to the state’s CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to ensure that the water related problems of the village end soon,” the tribal shepherd said on Sunday.
Won over by the shepherd’s land donation, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, “By donating 1,000 sq ft land for the Nal Jal Yojana, Thenku Banwasi has done a venerable work. I salute him for this great effort.”
Water scarcity has long been a source of concern in Bargaon village. Women and children from the village’s two parts, Banwasi Mohalla and Shankar Tola, must travel 2.3 kilometres to fetch water from the Salgi river, especially during the summer.
