Sirsi Woman Digs Well To Ensure Water for Anganwadi Students

Uttar Kannada: Moved by the plight of teachers, 55-year-old Gowri C Naik from Sirsi tasked herself with digging a well on the school premises selflessly without taking help from anyone. 

Teachers at the anganwadi at Ganeshnagar near Sirsi were reportedly had to walk nearly half-a-kilometre to a well to fetch water, which is used for cooking and drinking.

After deciding to help them, Gowri said, “They have to teach the children, cook for them and look after them. On top of that, they have to bear the burden of getting water from a far-off well. I promised them last year that I would dig a well on the school premises."

She started digging the well on January 30 by choosing a spot behind the anganawadi. She digs the earth and climbs out using a ladder to dump the soil. 

This marks the third well being digged by Gowri as earlier she had dug them at her farm and her house. A farmer with 1.5 acre land, she dug her first well in her farm. The amount of water she got at 45 feet was sufficient for her areca and coconut farm. 

To get water for her house, she dug one behind her house. But there, she had to go deeper at 65 feet. Because of her effort and hard work, she is known as Bhagirathi, another name for River Ganga.

Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Gangubai Mankar, when she heard about Gowri’s efforts from the media, said she is doing great work. “She is a role model to women. We would like to honour her,” she added.