The water table in most villages has gone down several metres and the tube wells are coughing out more air than water, say the villagers who have been demanding extension of water pipeline network to cover more areas. "The problem is two-fold, scarcity of water and poor quality of water that creates a whole lot of health problems," says a village panchayat member Ram Bharosey in Chaumuhan block.

Recognising the gravity of the problem, the district administration is supporting installation of RO plants. The one inaugurated by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Goverdhan in month of March, became operational in April. The ATM supported RO plant in Sonkh town was also inaugurated by local MP Hema Malini recently.

Mathura district magistrate Rajesh Kumar told Samiksha Bharti News Service that the chief minister has sanctioned five more such plants for the Braj area. Each plant will provide 5000 litres of water daily. The capacity can be increased to 10,000 a day. "The users will have to pay 50 paise per litre initially. Later it will be reduced to 25 paise per litre." He said the district needs more such efforts as the water table is constantly falling and the underground reserves in several areas were not potable.

"Even today in many areas you can see women travelling long distances to fetch a bucket of water, because the ground water is hard and undrinkable. Young people are turning old, suffering the consequences of hard water, and flurosis is a major problem," says social activist Pavan Gautam. Youngsters with yellow teeth are a common sight. The water is so bitter that even animals and birds avoid drinking this water. Ram Beti, of a village in Chaumuhan wondered "what kind of development is this, where you do not even have drinking water for for the common man."

Flurosis in the Chaumuhan area has affected so many people that almost every home has a patient. Dr. MK Mathur of the public health centre at Chaumuhan says due to flouride, magnesium, arsenic, calcium and other trace elements people are falling sick.  

A large number of people are suffering from chronic hepatitis, said a village leader Ajit Singh. Typhoid cases have also multiplied, he said. Ahuri village pradhan said some five months ago a water tank was constructed, but so far water has not been made available. Close to 70 percent villagers suffer from joint pains. Joginder Singh, a villager has yellow teeth, and is being treated by a Mathura dentist. A former pradhan of Kaunkera, Virendra Arya says 75 percent people suffer from one health problem or the other due to poor quality of water. People bring water from three kilometres away.

Women of Tarauli fetch water from three kilometres away. Villagers of Pasauli which has bitter and hard water bring water from several kilometres away. A large number suffered all kinds of ailments until with their own money they arranged a bore well some distance away and through a pipeline brought water to the village. To arrange for electricity, a tractor was made available to run the tube well motor. Villagers soon realised self help was the mantra for progress.

Potable drinking water is the only answer to control this health menace, say the villagers. They blame the successive governments for ignoring the water needs of the area. A homeopath of Radha Kund town Dinesh Prasad said safe and soft drinking water can minimise health problems.