“Environmental Stewardship: Mira Calls for Action”
Groundwater depletion is a serious threat to the environment. The importance of groundwater to the survival of mankind & the seriousness of the threat it is facing today cannot be ignored.
Marathwada region in India has been victim to longstanding droughts for decades. To address this issue, rural women of Marathwada are trying ways to revive the groundwater level. One woman leader, Mira Tai, from Yakatpur village in Latur district has taken up the challenging job of measuring the ground water level of the wells in her entire Taluka.
Mira with a deep pain expresses, “there has been a tremendous decrease in the groundwater level. The time I was a child the wells were filled with water & now upto 60ft also it has become very difficult to find water in the wells. To the extent some wells have even dried up completely providing no source of water to the nearby people.” She continues by saying that if the water level continues to deplete then it may be very difficult for all of us to survive.
When asked for what solution she proposes she says, “the only solution is that we need to plant more trees that can retain water, as I can see even in the village many huge trees have been cut down & this is the major reason for the depletion of the groundwater.” She also adds that, “once the rains come we need to find ways to store the rainwater as it is the only means that could help us survive.”
Let’s all work together to conserve and protect our environment, planting as many trees as possible and conserving rain water are some of the measures that we can take. Together we can restore our Environment and make it a better place to live for the Generations to come!