THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The General Hospital, its own history dating back to 1865, has carried along with it another historic structure on its premises all these years; almost unnoticed. Right at the centre of the hospital courtyard is a concrete-walled well aged precisely 156 years. More than half of the total water requirement of the hospital that counts up to 2 lakh litres a day, is met by this sparkling clear reserve.The well with its moss-grown side steps running as deep as 33 feet is never known to have dried up, not even once in its entire history. Even when the authorities had once buried her under concrete slabs, she seeped through, refusing to die. It happened a year ago.The water crisis had become so acute. Three tanker lorries met the hospital needs levying Rs 2,500 for each tanker, every day. Tube wells were the next option.The plumber was sought and the treasure that could have seen to the hospital’s water requirements at no cost was unearthed. Hari, the plumber, noticed the seepage of water through the slab while looking around for the spot for tube wells. Immediately, his discovery was communicated to the hospital authorities and the well had her rebirth.“When the slab was removed, we were astonished to find a well under it. We tried to dry the water in the well to confirm if it was a well or a drainage. In just 30 minutes, fresh water filled the well that was being dried up by the plumbers. We tested it in the laboratory and the results proved it good for drinking. Soon, the well was refurbished and pumps were installed. Now, almost 70 per cent of the water for the hospital is pumped from this well,” says Dr Suresh, who was the RMO of the hospital when the well was discovered.The well also boasts of a royal touch."The well was constructed at the time of establishment of the hospital in 1865 by Kartika Thirunal Maharaja. We can find a British model hand pump inside the well,” says Dr Santhosh, who had earlier worked at the General Hospital.The water from the well is equally distributed to three wards in the hospital and to the operation theatre and is also supplied as drinking water for the patients."We need 10,000 litres of water for the operation theatre daily. We had to postpone the operation several times at the time of water scarcity as the tools must be well-sterilized before each operation. But after the renovation of the well, we have never faced water crisis,” says Nursing Superintendent Pushkala.Hari, the plumber who actually brought the well back to life, guarantees that it is never going to dry up. "The pumping from the well is a 24-hour process. But the water will be refilled within 30 minutes after pumping. It has not even dried up during summer,’’ he says.The wish of the employees in the General Hospital is that the well must be elevated to the status of a historic monument.
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