Woman Voluntarily Digs Open Well to Quench Anganwadi Kids' Thirst

Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik, a resident of Ganesh Nagar at Sirsi town in Uttara Kannada or North Canara district of Karnataka has been in the news and controversy for the last fortnight. Her voluntary venture to dig an open well in the premises of an Anganwadi centre in the locality to quench the Anganwadi kids' thirst has driven her into the present plight.

 

Not for the first time: This is not the first time that she has plunged into digging an open well all on her own. Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik (58), a widow who has studied up to the second standard has done such feats much earlier as well. The first time she did was around six years back. Then, her accomplishment was digging the five-foot broad and almost about 75 feet-deep open well in a solitary manner.

Lady Bhagirath of Sirsi: Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik is well-known as Lady Bhagirath in and around Sirsi. Thanks to social networking sites, and awareness about eco-sensitive issues these days she has almost become a household name in the whole state and elsewhere. She has about Six Guntas of Forest encroached land in Ganesh Nagar, wherein she has grown Areacanut and Banana crops. After having lost her husband about 16 years ago, she was perplexed to witness the paucity of water to the crops. It was at this juncture, that the idea of digging an open well struck her and through hard efforts ensured the dream come true.

From a Daily wage earner to a household name: Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik's life has been a struggle all along. Earlier, she had to make a living by being a daily wage earner. However, meagre income from such irregular jobs didn't deter her from taking proper care of her son and daughter. Vinay, her son is an X-ray technician, who also runs his aquarium at Sirsi, while her daughter is a staff nurse in a government hospital. But, looking back the journey she has trodden so far no doubt is an uphill task but worth it to recall now as she has transformed herself into a household name.

A go-ahead for digging the open well: When the media was abuzz with reports of her digging an open well behind the Anganwadi centre, reactions of different kinds were evinced. Raghavendra Hegde Bettakoppa, a senior journalist exclaims: "No doubt, there was a lot of enthusiasm on the social networking sites, at the same time many eyebrows were raised from the official quarters. Providing drinking water to the Anganwadi centre was the government's job while a private individual and that too a woman from a humble background had stepped into the job. The dilly-dallying about whether to allow/permit her to go ahead went on for a few days and at last, the concerned officials reluctantly had to budge following public pressure on Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik's behalf".

Help comes pouring in: When representatives of different Departments visited the spot to stop Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik from going ahead with her plan of digging the open well all on her own, the general public resisted the move. In fact, they blasted the officials who had assembled there to dissuade her from carrying out her noble deed. They cajoled the bureaucrats saying that Gowri has been doing what the state couldn't do so far, leaving no option with the latter but to give a nod on what had been going on. Meanwhile, Sreenivas Hebbar, President Sirsi Jeevajala Karyapade announced providing all possible assistance to the works like the development of Anganwadi centre, rings to the well, platform, compound, pump and overhead water tank.

15 feet in 12 days: Before the news spread like wildfire Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik had already dug about 15 feet in 12 days. "Had the work not been stalled, I would have gone 20 feet deep. I felt very sad when I was told to stop the digging work. But, as the hindrances for the same have been cleared I am very happy and will continue the work with the same enthusiasm", told Gowri Chandrasekhar Naik.

People's representatives come to the rescue: Although officials of the Women and Child Welfare, Education and Panchayat Departments tried their best to scuttle the hitherto unheard and unusual voluntary gesture of Gowri, people's representatives came to her rescue. Shreedhar Naik, President Hutgar Gram Panchayat, Ms Shobha Naik, Vice President, Raju Mukri, Member and residents took the initiative of allowing Gowri to contribute to her humanitarian work.

-Manohar Yadavatti