The New Indian Express ·
Water scarcity forces tribal women to walk 15-20 km a day in Vellore
VELLORE: For Venda*, a tribal woman from Nachimedu hamlet in Vellore’s Peenjamandai panchayat, the day begins at 5 am. As dawn breaks over the hills, she picks up her pots and walks 2.5 km to a nearby riverside to fetch water.
She cannot leave any earlier as the bushy path is considered unsafe. So, she walks with four or five other women from the hamlet. Each woman fills their own pots with around 10-15 litres of water, places them on their heads and walks the 2.5 km back home, with the group making the journey together.
The uneven trail, marked by several ups and downs, makes the journey even more strenuous. By the time they reach home, their bodies ache, but there is little time to rest. They have to cook and get their children ready for school.