Specially-abled Kerala Man Praised By PM Modi For Keeping Lake Clean Of Plastic, Gets New Boat
NS Rajappan, a native of Kottayam in Kerala was recently praised for his one-man efforts to keep a lake clean of plastic waste by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
NS Rajappan, a native of Kottayam in Kerala was recently praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his one-man efforts to keep a lake clean of plastic waste.
In his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, "I have seen one more news from Kerala which reminds us of our responsibilities. There is a Divyang elderly person in Kerala's Kottayam, NS Rajappan. He is unable to walk due to paralysis. But his commitment towards cleanliness has not faded."
BCCL
"For the past several years, he rows his boat in the Vembanad lake and clears all the plastic bottles. Imagine how highly he thinks! We must also take inspiration from Rajappan ji and contribute towards cleanliness as far as possible," he added.
Kerala: PM Modi acknowledges NS Rajappan, a differently-abled man based in Kochi, for his effort to fish out plastic bottles from Lake Vembanad, in 'Mann ki Baat' address
¡ª ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2021
"I feel honoured to have been mentioned by the Prime Minister in his Mann ki Baat address," says Rajappan pic.twitter.com/gO7FPvmW6N
For many years now, Rajappan has been traveling across the Vembanad lake on his boat, collecting plastic bottles thrown away into the waterbody.
Rajappan who cannot stand on his legs used to make ends meet by selling these plastic bottles to scrap traders.
PRO Media
The story of Rajappan's silent service for decades came to light last year after a local photographer who was on the lookout for an attractive frame chanced upon him.
While talking to the photographer, Rajappan narrated his daily routine and about living on the banks of the river and his struggles to reach the boat, by dragging his feet.
But now, after his story was highlighted by PM Modi, there is an outpouring of support for the 72-year-old.
Screengrab
Sreekumar, an NRI businessman has gifted him a motorboat and another Kerala-based industrialist Bobby Chemmannur has offered to build him a new house.
Chemmannur said he had initially planned to buy Rajappan a boat, but since he already got a new one as a gift, he decided to make him a house.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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