Srikot
3rd june 2010
Mamta had pointed her village out when we were on our way to Kirgadi the other day. ……. it was not difficult to find Srikot today.
About 60 families live this small village just off the highway to Gangotri . At this time of the year the highway is busy with buses and taxis carrying pilgrims.
Mamta’s mother along with many other women from the village, returned today at 12:30pm, after completing her morning shift at a NAREGA undertaking to clean the village water reservoir.
(The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work…….. more..)
Genuinely disturbed she said..
They had shat all over the water tank. Its disgusting .. these pilgrims on yatra to the chota char dham really mess up our villages on their way to find God.. That’s why it has not rained. The gods are also repulsed at what humanity has become.
It was very very strange to see the Tehri dam water reservoir in the distance and think of many 
many stories I heard of the water problem they have to face in the village. The women … (Only women) walk up a steep climb to the main road to fill water in buckets and cans …. making a dozen trips every time the tanker comes. On the days that the tanker does not show up… it’s a long walk to the hand-pump at kirgadi.
While mamta’s sisters marched off to fetch water their brother and all the brothers of the valley are putting on their cool clothes to go hang out.
When we ask them for help they never come. Our mother should be the one telling them to get their ass up. But they are the ones who have spoilt these brats.
………….and it was time to leave for Haddam Malla.
Cab ride back to chamba.
Walk up block raod till the Shiv mandir and down from the temple is a path that leads to my village pradeep had instructed.
Down down down .. very long fucking way down and I found myself on the highway to Uttarkashi. ??
Pradeep called just then… I can see you.. you are on the wrong mountain.
Too exhausted to walk anymore…..I just sat on the highway and waited for a ride back to chamba.
