R B Jagadish

Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Jun 9: We often come across people who try to avail of facilities extended by the government by doggedly pursuing the matter and then get disappointed when their efforts go in vain. Now-a-days water scarcity created due to sparse rainfall has been seen affecting life everywhere. In the midst of this maddening world where the aim always is to earn without working hard, a man from Nallur near here has emerged as a tower of hope for the disheartened and disappointed people. He has succeeded in flushing out a sense of inferiority complex that was discouraging him from behind his mind, and getting water through his hard work, courage, adventure, culture, and a sense of resolute determination as well as never say die spirit.

Our hero of this story happens to be Vasanth Poojary from Kariyalu in Nallur village in this taluk. Poojary's undying effort has brought him success as he believed in himself and went on working as compared to others who lack his determination and devotion.

Vasanth Poojary inherited some dry land from his ancestors at two different spots, but they could not be cultivated for want of water. Although there are houses of some relatives nearby having wells, these wells go dry during summer months as a result of which areca nut plantations wither for want of water. As such, Vasanth was bothered by the thought how to water his thirsty field and cultivate crops in it. Although he sought help from local gram panchayat to get drinking water, he reportedly did not get favourable response.

Vasanth Poojary, who hails from a poor family, was left with no other alternative but to do something to face this crisis. He thought of digging a well on his own in his land. A determination followed by plan to dig a well soon took shape in his mind. He immediately marked a spot in front of his home and began to dig well. A hoe, a pickax, a wooden ladder he himself had built, rotor wheel, and rope were the only things he used to dig the well.

After digging two feet, he reduced the depth he dug every day in phases. Although he got water after reaching 20 feet depth, the clay around the base of the well began to slump. Because of this problem, he began to dig another well on another part near his house. There too he got water at the same depth. As he is facing financial problems to build protective wall around the base and at the top with laterite stones, he has not begun that work till now.

Two more wells

Vasanth then decided to dig a well in the portion of land that he inherited, which is located some distance away from the other piece he owns. Here too he single-handedly put in efforts and got water at a depth of 20 feet. Without stopping at this, he dug another well in the land where too he got some water. But because of the fact that he came across block of stone at that depth, he stopped digging.

In total, Poojary on his own dug four wells between February to April, at the rate of about 20 days per well.

Poor background

The family of Vasanth Poojary is poor. Although the family had agricultural land, they could not properly cultivate it for want of water. Whenever they get a call, family member go to work as agricultural laboruers. On other days, hard work put in by Vasanth's wife,Lalita (37), has been supporting the family sustenance. The couple's son, Vajresh, is in seventh standard, while daughter, Nandita (11) is in primary school. Poojary's aged mother, Sumitra, also lives with him.

Needed - helping hand

Vasanth has dug wells for the family through his effort. But the wells need protective well around to stop mud wall from collapsing. Vasanth does not have any money. Although he had approached for help under NAREGA or such other schemes, he says the gram panchayat has not responded positively. The frustration about the chances of his effort going down the drain if heavy rain results in slumping of mud causing the wells to fail has been bothering him now. Looking at Vasanth, one realizes that schemes formulated by the government succeed in their aims only if people like him, who genuinely are eligible for becoming beneficiaries of such schemes, get benefit out of them.