While most people relax and enjoy at home during the lockdown days, Haneesh, a native of Pinarayi in Kannur district decided to do something unique for his family. Haneesh dug a well at his house with the help of his family members and the pictures of it have since gone viral.
Water scarcity has been bothering the family when the summer got harsher. They decided that a well should be dug immediately that could solve their drinking water problem. However, when they learned that it would cost at least Rs 8000 to dig a ring deep for 3.2 feet well in Kannur, the family was shocked. When they calculated the expenses to dig a well that is at least 22 rings deep, it exceeded Rs 1 lakh. It was then Haneesh and his family decided to dig the well themselves, without hiring any labour from outside.
Haneesh and his elder brother began the work and were soon joined by the former’s sister-in-law. The kids in the family too were ready to help their elders. Soon, digging the well became a family affair for them. They began the work thinking that they would dig at least one ring deep, a day. On the tenth day of the lockdown, the family had already dug 10 rings deep. In fact, they had wanted to dig a well earlier itself. A ring was dug and a brick wall too was built while the foundation of the house was built. But it was covered up later. Now, as the well is dug on the same spot, the family didn’t have to bring an expert to determine the spot.
“Currently, we have already dug around 12 rings deep. But, now, we can continue only if the rocks are available. It is difficult to get rocks during the lockdown. But still we try to dig at least one ring deep every day. We hope to see water by 14 April when we may have dug 22 rings deep. It was the Prime Minister’s words to do something productive during the lockdown days that inspired me. These difficult times would soon pass; and the well would be something for us to take pride in. We could say that the well in front of our house is a symbol of our collective effort,” says Haneesh.
Haneesh and his brother get into the well to dig and scrape off the sand. Meanwhile, Haneesh’s sister in law and her kids pull up the sand. It is always better to dig the well way before the monsoon begins. But, during the lockdown period it is difficult to find people who are experts in digging wells. Haneesh says that all these factors had compelled them to dig the well on their own.
“When I see my sister in law who hasn’t done anything like this before, my 17-year-old nephew Appu, who helps in pulling up baskets full of sand despite bruising his palms and my niece who dumps the sand around 50 meters away, I feel what I am doing is nothing. No matter how hard the job is, when we do it with all our heart, enjoying it in every step, we would feel as if it is simple and effortless,” Haneesh said sharing some of the thoughts that crossed his mind while digging the well.
