Narmada water reaches Rajasthan’s border village Sundra after 728 km, ending decades of scarcity

JAISALMER: Water from the Narmada canal, originating in the Amarkantak hills of Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh, has finally reached Sundra—the last border village in Barmer district—after travelling 728 km, bringing immense joy to residents.

Sundra, located along the India–Pakistan international border in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, has witnessed a historic transformation. For the first time since Independence, clean and potable drinking water has reached every household through taps in this remote desert village.

This marks not just the arrival of water, but a victory over decades of hardship and the beginning of new hope. It is expected to significantly improve the quality of life for villagers.

Local resident Ugam Sodha said Sundra, established in 1734, was once considered one of the largest gram panchayats in the country in terms of area, covering around 1,345 sq km. Life in the village has always been shaped by the harsh desert environment. Located about 170 km from the Barmer headquarters, residents struggled for years to access drinking water. The groundwater was so saline that even animals avoided it. Government-installed tubewells failed, forcing people to fetch water from villages 15–20 km away.

Another villager, Derawar Singh, recalled that during the 1965 and 1971 India–Pakistan wars, the village had to be evacuated, adding to its challenges.

The daily struggle for water, along with health issues and migration, had become a reality. Saline water led to yellowing of teeth, weak bones, and premature ageing. With the arrival of Narmada water, however, the situation is changing.

Local resident Lalu Singh described the development as a historic achievement after years of struggle and waiting. Earlier, people had no option but to rely on fluoride-rich, saline water from wells, as tubewells and official arrangements failed.

Sonaram Beniwal, Superintending Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Project Circle, Chohtan (Barmer), said the Narmada canal-based drinking water project has resolved the region’s biggest challenge—access to safe drinking water. Starting from the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the water has travelled 728 km to reach Sundra.

He added that the project aims to supply water to more than 200 villages. For this, 16 large water storage reservoirs, several pumping stations, and over 80 elevated service reservoirs have been built. Despite challenges such as laying pipelines across sand dunes, electricity shortages, and security restrictions in the border area, the project was successfully completed.

For the people of Sundra, this change is significant. Many elderly residents are seeing tap water in their homes for the first time. Women, in particular, are now free from the daily burden of travelling long distances to fetch water.

The arrival of tap water in Sundra symbolises development, dignity, and an improved quality of life, showing that transformation is possible even in the most difficult regions.

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