Old traditional methods being used to build the RWH tanks
No one wants to sell our property to outsiders in our little village of Pilerne. Keep our village for ourselves, we don’t want those North Indian bullies here,” said one of the village folk who had come in from Mumbai himself. Ofcourse the difference is he is a Goan by birth and he built a house for himself and has shown his back forever to Mumbai.
The reason most village folk don't want “outsiders” in the village is because they pull down our heritage homes and build ugly and ungainly flat , which they in turn sell to the crass and loud Dilli wallahs. So far only one set of villas have come up facing the green fields of Pilerne and the people living there are retirees and very conscious of village traditions. Read -- they are careful not to step on the village folks toes.
Lined with a slurry of laterite
So when another Pilernekar told me about a couple from Delhi who had bought a home, my face fell, as I expected the same rash of ugly flats. The Parish priest told me she wanted to connect with me cause we were one of the oldest families of the village. I did not want to meet cause newbies are a pain. But, she piqued my interest by sending me a picture of the house they had bought and her plans to convert it into a beautiful art gallery cum residence.
The house in Moikkovaddo
Ever since Leenika and me, have become firm friends, with her sharing all the new developments happening in her property, infact we went to visit the house, when we were in Pilerne. Amazing, the amount of money they are pumping in, as the main idea is to showcase its sustainability. She is using ancient practices to rain- water- harvest and my mouth fell open when I saw the ‘kalyani’ like ponds she is getting dug in the garden.
Traditional methods being used
Whatsapp groups in Goa have connected her and me to local artisans and she is using local labour to build the ponds. They are ready, just before the rains and soon will get filled with all the rain water she could ever need to raise her water table. It will raise the water table of the whole area and stop the water tanker mafia in their tracks.
Knowing my interest and love of all things sustainable, she keeps me in the loop with every development. How I wish my parents were alive, to see what she is doing with the property. Money well spent and such a boon for everyone in the village, to have a trail blazer like her buy in Pilerne. Someone who wants to give back, not exploit.
The magical rain has begun to fill them!
She plans to build artists residences too at the back, small cottages, and will rent them out to visiting artists from across the globe. Well, she is putting our Pilerne on the map and all power to her and her lawyer husband.
