Archive · 17 Dec 2025
Bihar Village Faces Severe Water Shortage
In a small village called Awarhiya in Bihar, India, people have a big problem getting water.
There are no handpumps or taps in the village, so everyone has to walk 2 kilometers to a river to get water.
Men like Shankar Oraon use bicycles to carry big containers of water, while women like Sangeeta Devi carry heavy pots on their heads.
They make many trips every day just to get enough water for their families.
The villagers have asked the government for help many times, but nothing has changed.
They even refused to vote in the last election to show their frustration.
The government says they need special permission to build anything because the village is near a tiger reserve.
The people have been living like this for almost 10 years and are very tired of the hard work and lack of water.
Awarhiya village in Bihar has no handpumps or government water sources, forcing residents to fetch water from a 2 km distant riverbank.
Villagers, especially women, make multiple daily trips to carry water for their households, with some making 10 trips a day.
The water crisis has persisted for 8-9 years, with villagers alleging repeated unanswered requests for handpumps and piped water supply.
The administration cites the village's proximity to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as requiring Forest Department permission for any development work.
Villagers protested by withholding votes during the recent Assembly Elections to highlight their plight.
- Who
- Residents of Awarhiya village, particularly women like Sangeeta Devi and men like Shankar Oraon
- What
- Severe water shortage requiring daily trips to fetch water from a distant riverbank
- When
- The crisis has persisted for 8-9 years
- Where
- Awarhiya village in the West Champaran district of Bihar, near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve
- Why
- Lack of handpumps or government water sources, and administrative hurdles for development
- Location
- Awarhiya village, West Champaran district, Bihar
- Population
- Around 500
- Number of Houses
- About 80
- Distance to Water Source
- 2 kilometers
- Water Fetching Trips
- 10 trips per day by some villagers
- Duration of Water Crisis
- 8-9 years
- Protest Action
- Withheld votes during recent Assembly Elections
- Administrative Issue
- Requires Forest Department permission for development