A thirsty adivasi society amidst abundant water resources in Madhya Pradesh

By Raj Kumar Sinha* 

Dindori has been declared a water-scarce district. This designation indicates that the crisis of inadequate water availability for drinking and irrigation has deepened in the current year, especially with the approaching summer season. In response, restrictions have been imposed on the regulation and use of water resources. The order will remain in force from 10 February to 30 June 2026, aiming to curb unnecessary extraction and promote conservation-oriented practices. The administration has also prohibited unauthorised digging and drilling of private tubewells, borewells, and handpumps to safeguard groundwater levels and availability.

In Dindori and the surrounding tribal–rural districts, groundwater levels have already been declining and access to drinking water is limited. Excessive pressure on seasonal sources and the lack of rainwater harvesting have compelled the administration to resort to such measures to ensure water supply, so that drinking water problems do not become more severe during the summer months.

Madhya Pradesh is often described as the state with the largest tribal population in the country. For centuries, Adivasi communities have lived in close coexistence with forests, rivers, and hills. Ironically, it is these very communities that are now facing the most acute water insecurity. Tribal regions, rich in natural resources, are today struggling for water.

Districts such as Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Barwani, Mandla, Dindori, Shahdol, Umaria, Anuppur, Balaghat, Singrauli, and Shivpuri (the Sahariya region) are predominantly tribal. These areas are located in rocky hills, dense forests, or plateau regions where natural water storage is difficult. In tribal areas, drinking water mainly depends on springs, small streams, wells, and handpumps. During summer, these sources dry up, leaving many villages to endure severe water scarcity for three to four months each year.

Deep tubewell-based water systems are not suited to the geological conditions of tribal regions. As a result, a large number of handpumps dry up within a few years, rendering government investments ineffective. In several tribal areas, groundwater contains high levels of fluoride, iron, and nitrates. Dental problems, skeletal deformities, and gastrointestinal diseases are common, yet testing and treatment facilities remain inadequate.

In regions such as the Narmada valley, Singrauli, Balaghat, and Mandla, dams, mining, and industrial projects have separated tribal communities from their traditional water sources. Villages resettled after displacement often lack permanent water arrangements, further deepening the crisis.

Climate change has compounded the problem. Irregular monsoons, intense rainfall over short periods, and prolonged dry spells have affected both tribal agriculture and water sources. Springs that once flowed year-round are now limited to the monsoon season. Tribal societies possess a rich tradition of water conservation—small check dams on hill slopes, jhiriya, dabra, and other local water structures. However, modern water policies, even those linked to forest conservation, have largely ignored this knowledge, resulting in solutions that are not sustainable.

What is needed is decentralised water management under Gram Sabha–based planning, where water is treated as a community resource. Protecting jhiriya, ponds, springs, and small dams; promoting shallow wells, rainwater harvesting, and gravity-based water systems; and ensuring a decisive role for Adivasi women in water committees are essential steps. In Madhya Pradesh’s tribal regions, the water crisis is not merely natural—it is the outcome of policy neglect and an imbalanced development model. Unless tribal communities are placed at the centre of water management, the dream of “Har Ghar Jal” will remain unfulfilled in these areas.

The truth is not that water is being provided to Adivasi society, but that their water is being taken away. Without acknowledging this reality, solutions will remain elusive. The rapidly declining groundwater levels in Madhya Pradesh are not only a matter of concern for farmers but also signal a broader water security crisis for both urban and rural life. Nearly 58.75 to 60 per cent of the state’s groundwater has already been extracted, pushing Madhya Pradesh towards an escalating water emergency. About 90 per cent of groundwater use is for agriculture, while domestic use accounts for 9 per cent and industrial use just 1 per cent—clearly indicating that agriculture-driven extraction is the primary cause.

In rural areas, drinking water sources are steadily disappearing, increasing dependence on large tankers and deep tubewells. The depletion of Madhya Pradesh’s groundwater reserves is no longer a temporary problem; it has become a long-term strategic disaster. Only policy reform at the ground level, information-based administration, and genuine community participation can ensure reliable water availability in the future.

In Dindori, the water crisis is no longer a “possibility” but a present reality. Excessive dependence on the monsoon and weak recharge systems are failing. If controls are not enforced now, the summer could bring a drinking water emergency. This is the first time the administration has attempted to bring water use within the framework of law and discipline. If this order is dismissed merely as a restriction, the crisis will worsen. But if it is treated as the beginning of water discipline, Dindori could well become an example for others.

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*Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Union