Kunnam’s wishing well
KOCHI: Summers at Kunnam in Mavelikara can be hard. The scorching heat dries up wells in the area and the drought continues till June, says Jayasree M B. For years, the local people have been travelling long distances to fetch water. But this misery has come to an end for at least a few homes lately, especially those situated near Jayasree’s.
Even when Kerala reports an increase in the mercury level, Jayasree’s neighbourhood fetches water from their wells, thanks to her efforts in the last three decades. The 58-year-old has created a mini-forest around her house, recharging groundwater and restoring drinking water availability. Back in the day, during acute drought, Jayasree used to take her kids to her house in Chenganur. But now, her 16 ring well has water in abundance.
On 56 cents of land, Jayasree has planted several native trees. After returning from Qatar, she sourced a few saplings from nurseries and picked up any tree which caught her attention and brought it home. But Jayasree didn’t create the mini forest to bring a change to the water level. She wasn’t even aware that planting trees could prevent wells from drying up. “I started planting trees out of my love for greenery. The trees surround my house, and many of them grew out of seeds dropped by birds in the area. I don’t chop any of them down. Whatever grows here, stays here,” says Jayasree.
Indian bael, sheema chakka, naagamaram, gooseberry, hog plum, spanish cherry (elanji), ashokam, cutch tree (karingali), the thick rooted peraal tree — her compound has all sorts of green varieties. “I didn’t grow them to reap benefits or to fell them,” adds Jayasree.
Jayasree started noticing the change in water level almost two decades ago. She says the water gets stored in the leaves and roots of trees. The roots absorb rainwater, and it gets percolated deep into the ground, making the soil loose. This further helps increase the groundwater level.
But her selfless effort in her land attracted criticism too. “In our area, people plant plenty of commercial crops, especially tapioca. When I covered my land with random native trees, many questioned me for wasting the land which I could have made money out of,” she says. But the irony is, that those who questioned her now, are depending on water from Jayasree’s well during summers.
However, Jayasree is not just about the trees. She also cares for birds and animals in the area. A bowl of food and water is kept outside her house every morning. “When we had a shortage of water, I used to walk miles and fetch water for the animals. If we love nature, nature will love us back,” says Jayasree.