Parched throats: The people of Thar crave for water even though there is none

THARPARKAR: If you want to know the importance of potable water, just visit Tharparkar and see the people for whom a glass of potable water is worth more than anything else in the world. These people spend most of their time trying to find water – staling down the bottom of wells or looking hopefully towards the sky in the hope of rain. Balancing water-pots on their heads or holding it to their waist, the women of the desert have to make long journeys everyday in order to get potable water. They know how to use it economically, appreciating its value – not like those who reside in bigger cities and waste more water when they brush their teeth and shave their beards than what a whole family in Thar uses in the entire day. It is not only the women of Tharparkar but also its men that have to toil in search of water. In villages where water is scarce, the villagers get water after having to endure long journeys. “The biggest problem for Tharparkar is drinkable water,” commented writer and social activist Khalid Kumbhar. “If the government provides them with water, then half of their issues are resolved. As things stand, Tharis waste most of their time searching for it.” Except for a few towns, water schemes are missing and villagers have to depend on wells and shallow ponds – locally called tarai. The tarai is filled when there is enough rain – a blessing not often observed in the desert. Those who can afford it have constructed water tanks that can store thousands of gallons of water when it does rain. The stored water is used only for drinking – too precious to be wasted on anything else. Because of the scarcity of fresh water, the people of Thar bathe once a week and it is not only the Tharis, but also their animals who know the significance of water. “We don’t take all our animals to the wells but have to arrange water for them just like we arrange it for our families,” said Muhammad Saleem of the Rawrari village. After a daily journey of 10 kilometres on foot, Saleem is able to get water, which he then stores at his roadside tea shop. Tharis are used to going on journeys without having any water, usually relying on roadside wells or the kindness of strangers to help them. “Do you have water?” asked a Gajo village resident, Mohabat Charo, on his way to Mithi. Charo didn’t bring a bottle of water when he left his village in the scorching heat, about 10 km away from the main road. “Most of the time, people drink water from wells but at the moment, they can’t even be used by animals,” he added. Donkeys and camels can be seen around wells where the underground water can be up to 100 feet deep. “The people of Tharparkar can get water if the government launches water supply schemes,” claimed former MNA Arbab Zakaullah. However, as things stand, the only sources of drinkable water in Thar are these wells and rain water. “Every living thing in the desert depends on these sources,” explained Muhammad Soomar, who lives near Chelhar. “Our faces tell stories of dehydration.” Soomar, who spends most of his time in Hyderabad, said that it is not a lack of gas and electricity that is the biggest issue for his people but the scarcity of water. A woman who was waiting outside a relief camps in Diplo hastily untied a ration bag, fished out a bottle of mineral water and started drinking greedily. “She has been waiting for water for the last four hours. She had to save water at home, hence, she didn’t bring any with her,” explained a bystander. Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2014.