Binua village of Chiriya Panchayat in West Singhbhum district is situated near one of the oldest iron ore mines in Jharkhand. And, yet development is far away from the village where people are living in penury at the same time bearing the consequences of industrialization. The village, comprising of six Tolas and 145 families is struggling to get even pure drinking water.
When ASRA, in association with PHIA and APPI began its work in the village there was no Gram Sabha and people were largely dependent on the Panchayat for every small need of the village. However, the intervention worked well here as the people understood the concept of Gram Sabha and realized its powers in last eight months.
“We are facing several problems in the village since decades but no one is there to pay heed to our pleas. Neither we
have drinking water facilities nor do we have fertile land for agriculture here. The only hand pump at the village is defunct so we have to fetch water from the nearby rivulet, which often carries excess minerals due to mining. Also, our agricultural land is getting polluted due to iron ore dust and sediments that comes out from the mines,” says Gram Pradhan Amar Singh Sidhu.
“As we started holding meetings of the Gram Sabha we began discussing the most common issues and finally we have written to the Union Steel Minister about the river and soil pollution due to mining. This is our biggest problem because it affects our livelihood,” he adds.
The villagers have also formed eight standing committees of the Gram Sabha that take decisions on crucial matters. The standing committee members have also received training under the APPI project and are running the affairs very efficiently. They have made their Village Development plan seeking clean drinking water, Gram Sabha building, school, public health centre and toilets among other things and submitted it to Panchayat, says Sidhu.
“We have five women SHGs in the village but they remained largely defunct. Now that the Gram Sabha is focusing on empowerment of women there are several plans to make women economically self dependent. A leaves’ plate making machine has also been procured, which will help the women make commercial production of such plates that are in high demand these days,” says Parvati Purti.
“Most of the women in the village ride bicycles. This can actually help them in selling the products they would make. We are also trying to get some training in sewing machines, food processing, artifacts making etc so that women can have their own income,” says Gurabari Jamuda.
Notably, getting influenced by the Gram Sabha of Binua village, residents of neighbouring villages have also started empowering their Gram Sabha and holding meetings. This is really encouraging for all of us, says ward member Chandra Mohan Cherua.