60-Year-Old Woman Spends Her Life Savings Digging a Well for Parched Villagers

A woman of limited means living on a pension in a remote village in Karanataka, used up her savings to dig a well so several households would have water to drink.

By Nishi Malhotra

July 5, 2016

A woman of limited means living on a pension in a remote village in Karanataka, used up her savings to dig a well so several households would have water to drink.

Laxmi Poojarthi, a 60-year-old woman, lives in Amparu gram panchayat, a drought-hit village in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district, near Mangaluru. The village is situated on undulating terrain and does not have a good source of potable water. Tankers provide water to the villagers during summer and during the rest of the year they have to walk 2-3 km to access the closest source. Handpumps in the area too do not provide good potable water.

Resolving to put an end to the water woes of the villagers, Laxmi teamed up with four women about three months ago and started digging a well.

Laxmi

Thanks to their hard work, the 52-feet deep and 6 ft wide well is now ready in the Viveknagar colony of Amparu. As many as 10 households depend on this well for their daily water needs.

The well was build under the NREGA scheme of the government, which provides guaranteed employment of 100 days to the rural unemployed every financial year. The gram panchayat paid Rs. 82,000 for the project but fell short because the cost of installing the rings went up to Rs. 1.18 lakhs. At this point, Laxmi pitched in with her entire life’s savings, plus the wages she received from NREGA, to cover the cost of completing the well.

Amparu gram panchayat vice-president Kiran Hegde told Times of India, “Laxmi is a brave woman and a role model for all. The woman gave her entire savings for a public cause. She has done something extraordinary.”

Like this story? Have something to share? Email: [email protected], or join us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia). To get positive news on WhatsApp, just send ‘Start’ to 090 2900 3600 via WhatsApp.

Similar Story

Karnataka Farmer Grows 700 Varieties of Exotic Fruits From 40 Countries

Karnataka farmer Anil Balanja has been growing over 700 varieties of exotic fruits from 40 countries on his farm for the past 20 years.

If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.

Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-

₹201 ₹501 ₹1001

By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let's ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.

Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?