A severe drinking water crisis has gripped Jhipan village under Kharora region, leaving residents to fend for themselves as water supply remains disrupted for nearly two months. With no regular source of potable water, villagers are compelled to purchase water from private suppliers or neighbouring areas at rates ranging between Rs100 to Rs 150 per day. According to local residents, the administration sends only two tankers of water each day, which barely meets the needs of a few households. Those left out of the tanker route are forced to rely on external sources to fulfil their daily water requirements.

 

The situation has severely impacted daily life in the village. Even water for basic needs like bathing and washing is unavailable, forcing people to travel nearly 6 km to Suhela Thana Dabri for such purposes. The crisis has also forced some villagers to sell or relocate their livestock due to the lack of drinking water. Villagers have attributed the crisis to the operations of a cement plant located near the village. They allege that excessive extraction and dumping of water from the plant’s mines have significantly depleted the groundwater table. “Earlier, we used to get water by boring up to 70–80 feet, now even at 500 feet there's nothing,” said Jitendra, a resident.

 

“The problem began earlier this year, especially after the Ultratech cement plant emptied out the water from its mines in December,” he added. Traditional sources such as wells, stepwells, and hand pumps have dried up completely, a phenomenon the village elders say they are witnessing for the first time in decades. Villages surrounding Jhipan, including Ravan, Tildabandha, and Raveli, are also reportedly affected by similar water scarcity. Expressing frustration over the administration's alleged inaction, residents have demanded urgent intervention. Their demands include increasing the number of daily tankers, repairing traditional water sources, and initiating borewell or tubewell digging to restore basic water access. The villagers have also appealed to the Ultratech cement plant management to acknowledge the crisis and extend support in resolving it. “There is growing resentment and despair in the village,” said a local. “Despite repeated pleas, no concrete action has been taken by the authorities.” Repeated attempts to contact Jhipan Sarpanch Santosh Verma for a response were unsuccessful, as his phone remained unreachable.