Today we visited a well in Kodichikkanahalli where we got to witness our first well rejuvenation! This well is a public well that is 150+ years old. The well is about 50’ deep and 9’ in diameter. This well rejuvenation will not only clean out the well, but also add a tank and public tap so that community members will have free access to the well water for household needs. Currently, community members get municipal tap two days a week, so this well will be a great new water source for them. It was very interesting to be at the well for long enough to see the pile of trash from the bottom of the well grow and grow as bucket loads were removed. By the end of the day, Ramakrishna’s crew had removed the extent of the silt and garbage from the well. They would be returning the following day and that by that time it should be recharged to about 30’ of water. It will take a few more days to organize the pump and wiring to make sure the well is fully functional, then the community will be able to use their new well!
An aerial view of the well during rejuvenation. Notice the bucket to remove silt and debris.
Ramakrishna and his crew standing in front of the well and behind the pile of silt and debris they removed from the well that day.
After speaking with a woman living near the well, we learned that the well used to be used by the community. She said that even just 30 years ago, the neighborhood used to be very forested, but rapid urbanization brought more water infrastructure, and the well fell into disuse. She expressed excitement about the well being rejuvenated and seemed very happy with how it was being executed so far.
We took our visit as an opportunity to also interview Ramakrishna for our well digger profiles that we are working on for Biome. As always, he was a pleasure to talk to and learn more about. He was very eager to talk about past jobs he has worked on, and also got into some of his difficulties finding well digging work until he was connected with Biome. He expressed extreme gratitude for all that Biome has taught him and the opportunities that have been brought to him after being affiliated with Biome. Ramakrishna also talked about his interest in old wells and how he enjoys the history behind them. As always, it was very inspiring to have a chance to speak with Ramakrishna and hear about his love for wells and how passionate he is about his job.
Jody, Chloe, and Sophia standing on the well with Ramakrishna and his crew.
It felt great to complete our first interview for our well digger profiles. All of us also had a great time learning about the rejuvenation process with Ramakrishna and found it very exciting. We are looking forward to meeting more of the well diggers in Bangalore!
This well is located at 12.8986625° N, 77.6157692° E.
No comments:
Post a Comment