Yashodhara Bangera
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 14: On Children's Day, here is a story of a bunch of brave little kids who accomplished the extraordinary feat of creating a water source for their village. People of Panapila in Dharegudde gram panchayat in Moodbidri had been facing lot of hardship in getting enough drinking water. They have been asking for water since long. Surprisingly, their demand was recently met neither by the local administration, nor by people's representatives, but by the children of the village! These kids, who worked beyond their limitations, and despite all the danger, made sincere and determined bid to find a lasting solution to the water problem of the area.

Nine children of Panapila came together and dug an 18-feet-deep well within two days and struck water. This feat, which no one could have imagined as possible, has brought to the fore the capacity of the kids.

Ten houses in Guddalpalke area in Panapila had been suffering from scarcity of drinking water since the last several years, but no solution was in the offing. Since a year, the people of the area often discussed about the practicability of digging an open well, but it had not materialized. Nine children, who understood the plight of the residents of their area, came forward to come to their help. When the children began to dig the well, many had scoffed at the children, saying that they had taken up an impossible task. But the children, not letting their spirits to be dampened by discouraging comments, went ahead, worked hard, and did the impossible.

Prasad (15), and a ninth standard student named Dixit, were the brains behind this mega project executed by the children. A seventh standard student, Deeksha, Nagesh studying in sixth standard, Bhavya, Sulochana from the fifth standard, Deekshit from the fourth standard, and Suhan, a third standard student, joined hands with the first two and dug the well. Eight of these students are students of the zilla panchayat higher primary school at Borugudde and government high school at Aliyoor.

These children overheard the prediction made by a local about the presence of underwater source at a spot, and decided to dig the well there. On last Sunday and again on Tuesday, which happened to be a holiday on account of Deepavali, these children continued digging the well. The fact that they hit clay at the spot under the ground made their task easier. After the well was almost dug and water was struck, two elders from the village lent their hands to the children.