Wells were a consistent part of the landscape that we walked through. There were several styles - from basic wells to ones using pulley systems. We even came across a well that used a motor, which, though not a very sustainable method, was nonetheless an interesting sight
Prof. Gupta explained to us how the âbig to small' methodology of design worked. A large wheel was used to turn a smaller wheel several times to extract water from a well. This was an effective option compared to using a gas-powered engine to turn a small wheel many times in order to turn a big wheel once.
The understanding of the sustainability of human power as opposed to gas power on part of the villagers really excited me.
The night was dark and not many of us had flashlights. When we made it to the main road, we were told we had just a kilometre to walk to reach our destination. We forgot it was a 'Shodh Yatra kilometre'. So, three kilometres later, we reached the house we were going to bunk at.
After walking for 20 kilometres, we were all tired. A quick meal later, we went to sleep on cots in the open air. The night was blustery, but we slept like logs.
In picture: Villagers using an innovative pulley system to draw water from a large well