Devoid of basic amenities, locals in this MP village still defecate in the open

Locals in Sarotipura village near Bhopal claim that they still defecate in the open, despite the city having been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2017.

The village, which has a population of 500, still awaits basic amenities such as clean drinking water, electricity and proper sanitation.

Even medical help in the village, locals claim, remains a hope. Villagers are forced to travel a distance of at least two kilometres to avail medical aid. Adding to the woes of locals, they claim patients have to be carried on cots to hospitals.

Speaking to ANI, a local named Gaur Singh said, "We are very upset with the government schemes. The old in the village don't get pensions. We don't have proper houses. There is no electricity. This situation has been the same for two years. No government official comes to see our condition."

The Kerwa Dam is near the village, however, villagers claim they have no access to clean water as there is no proper infrastructure to provide them with the same.

There are transformers and electric poles in the village, but locals say only a few houses have electricity.

"We don't have clean water for everyday use and for drinking. We don't have electricity in our houses. The government officials came and hung these electric meters outside of our houses without informing us or explaining to us when we will get the electricity. Children cannot study in the night. No road is there so we don't have any transportation facility," said Rama Bhil, a resident of the village.

The government school in the area has only one room in which five classes are operated with three teachers and two blackboards. Students of class 1 and 2 study together on the same blackboard while students of classes 3, 4 and 5 study together on the second blackboard.

The school has two washrooms which are not used by the students and the teachers as there is no water available, residents have said.

Speaking to ANI, Additional District Magistrate Satish Kumar said a team of officials will visit the village to take stock of the situation.

"Tomorrow a team of officials will visit the village and will try to find a solution for this. The program "Aapke prashasan, Appke Dwar" is already in place in the state and under this only the team will visit the village," he said.