Udupi: In a gesture of commitment towards his students and school, a primary school teacher at Karnataka Public School (KPS), Hosmar, in Karkala has stepped forward to personally fund a borewell project to address the school’s long-standing water shortage.Raghu MG, graduate primary school teacher (social science subject) at the school, has already spent Rs 1.5 lakh to drill an 820-feet-deep borewell on the campus. With the drilling work complete, he is expected to invest another Rs 1.5 lakh to install the remaining infrastructure to make the facility operational, said Nagesh, senior headmaster of the school.“Raghu, hailing from Tumakuru has been serving at our school for the past two years, while I joined only this academic year. During discussions on the school’s pressing water shortage, we examined various solutions, including raising funds from donors, as the existing well fails to meet demand during peak summer and we often have to depend on neighbouring water sources. To my surprise, Raghu immediately volunteered to sponsor the borewell project. The initial drilling work has been completed, and we may require another Rs 1.5 lakh to finish the remaining works,” headmaster Nagesh said.What touched us even more was the support he received from his family, the headmaster said. “His parents encouraged him to take up the project and even told him that if sufficient water was not found this time, they would support drilling another borewell next Oct. His wife, who is a high school teacher in Balehonnur, has also been supporting the initiative. Their commitment to the students’ welfare has been truly inspiring.” headmaster said.“We face severe water shortages during March and April every year. Most of the children here come from economically weaker families, and we want to provide them better facilities and encourage more parents to enrol their children. Our next step is to create percolation pits and implement rainwater harvesting measures so that groundwater can be recharged and school has a sustainable water source in the future,” said RaghuMeanwhile, Artha, a group of liked-minded people undertook the painting of the school this year.
