From digging wells to cleaning them

In a city where water means opening a tap, wells are part of a nearly bygone era.

But beyond the suburbs, where individual houses are still constructed, well-diggers like V.S. Vedaraj dig deep into the earth to find the elixir of life.

Though not experts in water divining, well-diggers like him know where to find water.

“We look at other wells in the area and make an assessment before we start digging. In the 30 years that I have been in this trade, I have always found a water source at the bottom of the well and never a genie,” says the 52-year-old man, with a twinkle in his eyes.

He says these are not good days for well-digging due to plot sizes becoming smaller and borewells costing lesser and taking little space. But Vedaraj is content earning Rs. 500 a day desilting wells.

In place of 20 wells a month, he and his team of men now dig only five. “I still work throughout the year, desilting wells,” he says.

Digging wells is hard work and a 20-feet-deep one takes 13 hours of strenuous digging, pulling up buckets of mud and ensuring the earth does not cave in.

“Though it is considered dangerous, I love this profession and don’t want to do anything else. Standing in the clay, muck and water for over 12 hours a day has only made me very physically fit,” he says. When the team starts digging, rings are tied, one on top of the other. As the ground is dug, the rings automatically fall into place to create the well. A 20-feet-deep well costs Rs. 15,000 to dig.

If special rings are used, the cost can go up to Rs. 35,000 for the same depth. Well-diggers charge by the foot. The asking rate is between Rs. 300 and Rs. 400 per foot.

Desilting wells is what relatives and well-diggers, Krishnamurthi and Veeravel, do best, the duo says.

“We stopped digging wells and now, desilt them. People always keep dropping things inside wells or rats or snakes fall into the water. We have a submersible motor that pumps out all the water and removes the muck. This helps clean the points where water enters the well. The water is cleaner after we desilt the well,” says Krishnamurthi.

Mr. Vedaraj says wells must be cleaned every five years.

Gone are the days when every household had a well. Moving with the times,

well-diggers have now taken up desilting work