Lilabati Mahata mobilizes rural women to build water conservation structures
A woman from West Bengal's drought-prone Jhargram rallied hundreds of local women to develop and lay water conservation measures. Here's the inspiring story of Lilabati Mahata. During the monsoons, the undulating topography of Jhargram in West Bengal allowed its residents to grow only one crop, paddy. The rest of the year, the residents rely on the forests for nutrition and nourishment by chopping and collecting wood, searching for food, hunting animals, manufacturing ropes, or other menial tasks. This has been the case for decades, but thanks to the intervention of Lilabati Mahata, a 31-year-old 'water champion.' As a result of her efforts, a large number of households now produce seasonal vegetables to usher in better times. Jhargram, which is part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, became West Bengal's 22nd district in 2017, after splitting from Paschim Medinipur, and is suffering from a particularly severe drought. Only 3% of the population lives ...