Where women dominate the digging of wells.
Hitherto an unskilled labourer in local agricultural fields, 55-year-old O. Ammini is quite proud of her new role as a trained well-digger.
“Except for half a dozen wells in rocky terrains, all the wells now provide water in the panchayat where tanker lorries used to meet drinking water needs every alternate day.
Buoyed by the success, we are prompting the women to construct 310 wells in three years.
As the expenses are being met under MGNREGS, the families are getting the wells for free,” said panchayat president K. Jayadevan, who conceptualized the initiative.
“Our aim is to achieve water self-sufficiency by digging wells for free to families in need.
A water festival was organised in the panchayat when the collective completed the construction of the 100th well in the compound of local resident K. Akki.
The permission for each well was granted by the panchayat after securing an affidavit on stamp paper from the landowner stating that he or she will allow the public to draw water from the well.
“The panchayat is now undertaking large-scale rainwater harvesting initiatives.
Once drinking water scarcity is solved, we can achieve better living standards,” said Mr. Jayadevan.