PUDUKKOTTAI: It’s 11:30 am, the sun is blazing on the coastal town of Mimisal in Pudukkottai district. Braving the heat, about 25 to 30 women from the village of R Pudupattinam walk in line with pots and a makeshift ladle in their hands and cross a bridge over a waterbody to the other side, to collect this ‘pure’ and ‘fresh’ drinking water. They have been doing this for generations.
What’s so special about it is the water itself, say the villagers. Every day, these women dig the sand to find the springs, use their ladles to scoop the water into their pots, then use a cloth over the pots to filter the water. There are 5,000-odd people in Pudupattinam and most are fisherfolk. Panchayat president Nagarajan said the villagers get water from the Panchayat.
However, instead of buying water from outside, they prefer spring water due to its taste and quality. “These sand-springs have been the main source of water for over five generations now. They were in existence even before the Britishers’ time. We prefer this water as it is pure.” However, accessing the water is still an arduous task and is done only by women.
“We come only once in a day to fetch water. If a house has more people, then two women would come,” says one Nagalakshmi. “About 10 years back, we got a bridge to cross over to the other side. However, during rain and strong winds, it is difficult to carry the pots on our head and walk.” The villagers guard the springs by setting up a committee. A board near the spring says animals should not be brought as they may pollute the area.