Raniganj (West Bengal): Pained at the sight of seeing her mother walking kilometres every day to fetch water, a 25-year-old girl from Raniganj decided to dig 18 feet well to help her family!
A student of Burdwan University, Babita Soren toiled for days with indomitable spirit and grit to dig a well all by herself, a job that is normally done by scores of people.
Babita, who has completed her MA in Political Science, had come home during the corona-induced lockdown after the state government announced all the educational institutes should be shut to contain the stem of COVID-19. She was upset over the fact that her mother had to walk kilometres to fetch watch as there is no tubewell near to her house, prompting her to manually dig a well.
Asked about what prompted her to dig a well, Babita said: "I am digging this well for my mother. Earlier too, she used to walk a long distance to get water for the family and even now, she continues to do so. I cannot see her pain and her sore legs. So, I had decided to dig a well for her to reduce her burden."
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Responding to the challenges faced by her while digging the well, she said, "Initially, it was tough, but now with the onset of Monsoon, the soil has become soft. I have already dug 18-feet well and will dig it a bit more to get clean water. My mother and my sister are helping me and this time I am determined that I will solve the problem of water crisis which we are facing till now."
Babita's mother, Meena Soren said, "My daughter doesn't want me to travel long distances in search for water. We also decided to hire labourers to help us but we are running short of cash. I want to save money for my daughter's education and cannot afford to spend a huge amount on well at present."
Asked about any assistance from the local authorities, she added, "We even approached the local panchayat for help but they demanded Rs 5,000 to complete the digging. We are not in a position to give this huge amount and hence, my daughter decided to dig the well on her own."
