A year after Padmashri, Canal Man enters into his second innings

Keonjhar, Feb 25 (LocalWire) 72-year-old Daitari Nayak suddenly became a talk of the town in the Keonjhar district of Odisha when local TV channels showed his ordeal of bringing water from the adjacent mountains to his village after carving out a canal of 3 kms from after investing years of his time for the project.

Buoyed by his works, the President of India awarded him one of the highest civilian award ‘Padmashri’ in 2019.

One year down the line, the farmer seems to have entered into his second inning where a fixed income, housing and dedicated road and umpteen invitations as guest have helped in instilling a greater degree of confidence in the rural farmer.

The state government which was initially said to have turned a blind eye towards his demands for irrigation to his village has also come on board and extended assistance to Nayak for ensuring irrigation to his farm lands.

“Now many people and organisations have started inviting me as guest. They want to listen how I carved out a canal for my village and helped in sustaining farming in my water-stressed village. For many I have become an inspiration,” Nayak told Local Wire.

Nayak also said that the state government has also started building concrete walls around the canal he carved out from the mountain to bring water to the village for agriculture.

“I am living in a joint family in a house with asbestos rooftop. Five brothers and their families are living together. Now with government assistance we are also being provided a pucca house and the construction is underway. On the other hand the kuccha road to our village has also started to be made concrete,” said Nayak.

The Canal Man of Odisha said that the government is now giving him Rs 10,000 per month as support assistance to live a dignified life. On the other hand, he is also working hard on the fields as a farmer to earn for his family besides the government support money.

Earlier Nayak gained limelight after he carved out a three-kilometer canal from mountain after investing years on his mission.

He said that he undertook the arduous work because his village was water stressed and the local officials had turned a blind eye towards the village.

LocalWire