Musahar community in Rautahat still struggling with severe water shortage

 RAUTAHAT, July 27 – Every year, the Musahar community in Judibela, Rautahat, suffers from severe drinking water shortages—and this year is no different.

Just 4 kilometers northeast of Chandranigahapur Chowk, along the East-West Mahendra Highway, around 45 families live in makeshift huts with little to no access to clean drinking water. These families, along with residents of nearby Chaudhary Tole, rely on a single public water tap on the roadside. With nearly 100 households depending on it, long queues and daily stress—especially for women—have become the norm.

Urmila Devi Majhi, 45, wakes up before sunrise every day to get water. “If I’m even a little late, I have to wait in a long line,” she says. “We’ve spent our whole lives fighting for water. I just wish I could drink from my own hand pump one day.” But not a single home in the settlement has a personal hand pump.

The problem isn’t new. According to local resident Suresh Majhi, most Musahar families own only 2–3 dhur of land (roughly 67–100 square feet)—just enough to build a small shelter and maybe keep a goat. “Even if the government wants to help, there’s no space to install hand pumps,” he says. The issue isn’t just the lack of rainfall—it’s a long-standing crisis.

There was a small improvement last year when the Chandrapur Municipality activated a roadside tap by installing a submersible pump and providing electricity. Before that, people had to walk 300 meters to fetch water from the Brahma Baba Temple. Still, Suresh adds, “We are nowhere near solving this.”

Some believe relocating the community is the only real solution. “How can the government provide basic services like water and toilets in such small plots?” asks Lalbabu Majhi.

The nearby Tharu Tole is facing similar problems. Devrat Chaudhary, 60, says the situation has worsened this year because of the drought. Even hand pumps that go 30–40 feet deep have dried up. “The borewell near the ward office is 400 feet deep, so it still works, but now around 25 Tharu families have to depend on it, causing crowding and delays.”

Women bear the biggest burden

The water crisis has hit women the hardest. With so much time spent collecting water, daily chores like cooking and cleaning have become exhausting. Children—especially girls—are missing out on school to help out at home.

“Most girls don’t go to school. They’re busy cooking or washing dishes,” says Chanda Majhi.

Lack of bathing facilities poses safety risks

The absence of proper bathing areas means women often have to bathe out in the open, which is both humiliating and dangerous. “We’re forced to bathe by the roadside. It’s embarrassing, especially for young girls,” says Devnati Majhi. “It’s mentally stressful and increases the risk of sexual harassment.”

Residents are urging the government to build community bathing spaces, toilets, and a reliable water supply.

“For the safety and dignity of women, these basic facilities must be built as soon as possible,” says Urmila Majhi.