Availability of Drinking Water and Sanitation Facilities of Chura Caste in Village Badli: A Clan Wise Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The chura caste is one of the lowest and depressed caste among scheduled castes in Haryana. Small social divisions in the form of clan (Gotra) have not been reported the exact number of Chura, but about two dozen clans such as Pihwal, Dualgach, Tank, Soda, Baid, Marholia, Tanwar, Chauhan, Jingalia, Bagri, Lauth, Chandalia, Deeka, Chavria, Beniwal, Bidhlan, Gehlot, Kudala, Chawla, Pathak, Gaichand, Muthwal, Nukhad and Khekhra are existed in chura community (Singh, 1994). The chura caste is one of that lies in the bottom most rung of the lower caste in Hindu caste hierarchy. The Balmiki, Bhangi, Churre are the synonyms of Chura. The Balmiki living in Punjab are also referred to as ‗Chura in rural areas and Bhangi in urban areas‘ (Rose, 1919). Chura caste is known by various names in different states such as in Punjab and Haryana they are known as Chura; while in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, they are called as Bhangi, Mehtar, Jharmali, Halalkhor, Raut, Hela, Dom, Domar, and Basor (Badri, 1965). The socio economic characteristics observed of Balmiki Community in Rohtak District. She collected the primary data of 172 households of six villages namely Bhalot, Kansala, Nindana, Baland, Lahali and Bansi. She analyzed that the most of household of Balmiki caste have the facilities like furniture (93 %), LPG (77 %), flush toilets (16 %), car (5 %) and computer/ laptop and internet facilities (19 %) (Sangeeta, 2014). Access to drinking water is not only an important measure of the socio-economic status of the household but is also fundamental to the health of its member. Safe drinking water is essential for all human beings. Globally, the world is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) as safe drinking water. As per census 2011, India is also on the track with about 70 % rural households having sustainable access to safe drinking water. Safe drinking water supply is one of the public health agenda for so long. According to the definition of census of India (2011), ‗if a household has access to drinking water from a tap, tube well or hand pump situated within the premises or outside the premises , it is considered as having access to safe/ improved drinking water‘. Up to census 2001, tap water, hand pump and tube well were considered as safe sources of drinking water. Thus the lighted availability of drinking water and sanitation facilities of chura caste in village badli:a clan wise analysis. The main objective of the present paper is to analyze the availability of drinking water facilities and sanitation facilities in the village Badli.

METHODOLOGY

The present study is based on primary data collected on the basis of well-structured schedule and personal interview with the head of the household. The primary data of all the households of four Gotra/clans of Chura caste has been collected. The source of drinking water has been grouped into three main categories; like (i) Tap water (ii) well, (iii) Hand pump. The clan wise households of all the three categories have been calculated into percentage. Clan wise data of sanitation facilities has been grouped into two main categories; like (i) Flush Toilet and (ii) Pit Toilet have been calculated into percentage at village level shown with the help of bar diagram.

STUDY AREA:

The village Badli is located in Bahadurgarh Tahsil in district Jhajjar of Haryana state. It extends from 28° 34' 23" north latitude and 76° 48' 6‖ east longitude. It is situated about 20 km away from Jhajjar city. It is bounded by village Habibpur in the north, and Majra in the north east, Kheri Jat and Mohmadpur majra in the north west, Pelpa, Dariyapur, Asmailapur and Sondhi in the south and Lagarpur in the south east [Fig.1]. The village is fairly extensive one with an area of 3239 hectares. The total population of village Badli is 12670 persons and the total scheduled caste population of village is 1966 (15.52 %) as per census 2011. The village is dominated by three scheduled castes namely Chamar, Dhanak and Chura. The map of study area has been prepared with the help of Arc view 9.3.version.

Based on field survey, the total population of chura community is 541 persons of four selected clans namely Bagri, Lauth, Tank and Deeka in the village Badli which comprising 286 males (52.86 %) and 255 females (41.13 %). The total literacy rate of chura caste is 70.0 % while male literacy is 73.60 per cent and female literacy is 65.40 per cent. The highest literacy rate (73.30 %) is recorded in Bagri clan followed by Lauth (70.80 %), Tank (62.50 %) and Deeka clan (62.10 %). The sex ratio is recorded 891 females per thousand males in the village. The total workers of chura caste are 35.30 per cent while male workers are 48.95 per cent and female workers are 20.00 per cent. The average size of the household is recorded 5.9 persons. The largest size of the household (8.2 persons) is observed in Deeka clan followed by Tank (6.6 persons) and Lauth (5.9

Regarding drinking water, safe and pure drinking water is basic need for life. The importance source of water common to all the households are wells, tap water and hand pumps in the village. [Table-2] reveals that most of the households (60.4 %) depend on tap water for drinking followed by hand pumps (56.0 % households) and only 1.10 per cent household use of wells water in the village. The tap water is

households) and Deeka only 05.5 per cent. Approximate 57 per cent households of Bagri clan used hand pump and it is followed by Lauth clan 25.5 per cent and Tank clan 13.7 per cent. It is found that most of households reported dependence on tap water followed by the other sources of water.

Clan Wise Availability of Sanitation Facilities

CONCLUSION:

It is concluded that the 60.4 % households depend on tap water for drinking, and 56.0 % households are also depended on hand pump water for drinking in the study area. It is found that the better condition of drinking water facilities of tap water in Lauth clan and it is followed by Bagri clan in the study area. It is recorded that the Lauth clan has good condition of flush toilet facilities and Deeka clan has poor condition in the study area. It is noticeable that about 10.9 % households do not have the facility of toilets and they go to open space in the village. It is suggested that the government should provide sufficient amenities, drinking water facilities and sanitation facilities to chura caste which led to improvement of socio economic status in the rural areas.

Badri, N. (1965) Women Heroes and Dalits Assertion in North India: Culture, Identity and Polities, Sage Publication, London. Rose, H.A. (1919) Glossary of the Tribes and Caste of the Punjab and N.W.F. Province, Lahore: Government Press, rpt. 1980, Delhi: Amar Prakashan. Department of Geography, M.D. University Rohtak. Singh, K.S. (1994) People of India, Haryana, Anthropological Survey of India, Vol. XXIII., Manohar Publication, New Delhi, pp.33-37. Census of India (2011)

Assistant Professor, G. C. Dubaldhan Jhajjar rekhaberi86@gmail.com