Environmental refugees: Climate change-induced water crisis forces Indian Villagers to the Brink

CHITRAKOOT, INDIA - Sukhai 30, and his wife Rajmati 24, are facing an unprecedented water crisis in their Uchchadi village, which has made their lives a living nightmare.

The couple, who reside in the region around Manikpur in the Chitrakoot district, of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, are among millions of people in India affected by the slow violence of climate change, which is gradually pushing them towards becoming environmental refugees.

"The situation is terrible here. We used to have enough water to irrigate our crops, but now the water level has gone down so much that we can barely get enough water for our daily needs" Sukhai said. "We have to walk miles every day to fetch water from a nearby well, and it's a huge struggle."Rajmati added, "The water crisis has also affected our health. We can't wash our clothes properly, and the lack of clean water has led to skin infections and other diseases." The situation is so bad that for weeks people have not taken a shower.

“Water is such a scarce element in this region that people treat using it for bathing as wastage (of water). With the temperature hovering over 42 degrees Celsius, people do not take a bath for over a week and thus they are exposed to health hazards,” said Raja Bhaiya, Convener of an NGO, Vidya Dham Samiti, in Chitrakoot. The region gets water supply from a lone tube well. The water supply is slow and scarce. Since 4 in the morning women in the village line up utensils, jerry cans, and water pots so that they can get water once the supply starts.

However, tensions often run high as women allege that others are breaking the line, leading to arguments and even physical altercations. “This violence is a symptom of the desperation caused by the water crisis, and underscores the urgent need for effective solutions to ensure equitable access to water for all,” Raja Bhaiya said. Fed up with the growing conflict, many villagers including Sukhai and Rajmati have decided to leave the village and move to cities where they would work as menial labourer at construction sites. The couple's plight is not unique.

According to a report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), India accounted for the highest number of new internal displacements in the world in 2020, with over 9 million people forced to flee their homes due to climate-related disasters such as floods, cyclones, and droughts. The slow violence of climate change, which is causing these disasters, is also leading to the displacement of people like Sukhai and Rajmati, who are forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.

The IDMC report notes that most of the displacements in India were caused by droughts, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. "The situation is very worrying, as the displacement of people due to climate change is likely to increase in the coming years," said Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change at ActionAid International. "We need urgent action to address the root causes of climate change and support the affected communities." The Indian government has launched various initiatives to address the issue of water scarcity, including the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a national campaign to conserve water, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, which aims to increase the efficiency of irrigation systems.

However, these efforts are yet to yield significant results.  "The government's initiatives are a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to address the scale of the problem," said Singh. "We need to ensure that the affected communities are at the center of decision-making and are given the resources and support they need to adapt to the changing climate."

Experts have long warned of the effects of climate change, but the issue has been largely ignored by policymakers. The slow violence of climate change is a humanitarian crisis in the making, and it is time for action. "The government needs to do something. We need water to survive, and we need help," Sukhai said. Rajmati added, "We are not asking for much, just some water to drink and to grow our crops. We don't want to leave our home, but if things don't improve, we might have to."

The Water Resources Minister in Uttar Pradesh Government Swatantra Dev Singh said that scheme like Har Ghar Jal (piped water in every house) has been launched and Chitrakoot is our focus area. “The government has launched several initiatives to address the water crisis in Chitrakoot, including the construction of check dams and the installation of hand pumps. We are working in this direction,” he said. The impact of climate change is not limited to just the environment; it also has severe social and economic consequences.

As water becomes scarce, conflicts over resources will likely escalate, leading to social unrest and displacement. "Climate change is a slow violence affecting the most vulnerable people in our society," says Sunita Narain, director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment. "It is a humanitarian crisis in the making, and we need urgent action to mitigate its impact."

Governments and policymakers need to prioritize climate adaptation and mitigation measures to prevent further damage to the environment and its people. This includes investing in renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture practices. "We need to take action at the local and national levels to address the challenges posed by climate change," says Narain. "We need to ensure that the most vulnerable communities have access to clean water, food, and shelter and that they are empowered to take part in the decision-making processes that affect their lives." For Sukhai and Rajmati, the future remains uncertain. They are worried about their children's future and the survival of their community. "We want our children to have a better life than us. We want them to have water and food and a future," Sukhai said.

The couple's story is a reminder of the human cost of the climate crisis. It is a crisis that affects us all, but it is the vulnerable who are suffering the most. We must act now to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the making.