When it comes to water in Rajasthan,you don’t take any chances —you guard it with your life. Well,not quite,but villagers in areas where water scarcity has reached alarming proportions now think nothing of forking out anything between Rs 100 and Rs 200 a day to hire private security guards to keep away the ever increasing tribe of desperate water thieves.
If you are passing by villages like Sri Kolayat,Khajuwala,Pugal or Bajju near Bikaner,security guards protecting tanks or even ponds are a common sight. These are places where water is scarce and theft rampant.
Shyam Lal,from Khajuwala,says the guards even keep animals away from quenching their thirst in the local pond. “There are 8,000 villagers and they depend on this water body. So,we have hired four security guards to protect the pond round the clock. And the pond is also drying. It hasn’t rained here properly for nearly five years.”
Guards also ensure that no family gets more than its share. Each family’s quota is decided based on the number of members in the household.
“Often,villagers take away water using pipes and electric motors. But we keep check round the clock and keep outsiders and stray animals away from the water tanks,”said a guard.
A senior police official told TOI that cases of water theft for the purpose of irrigation was higher compared to stealing of drinking water. He claimed the police are also doing their best to keep water thieves at bay but the villagers prefer to let private guards do the protecting. Even if it means pooling in hard-earned money to pay for it.
