PM hails solo effort at lake clean-up
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The untiring efforts of a 69-year-old man, paralysed under his knees, in direction of cleansing up Vembanad Lake, have earned recognition from the best workplace of the nation.
In this month’s version of Mann Ki Baat, a radio programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the dedication of N.S. Rajappan, a in a different way abled man from Kaippuzhamuttu, close to Kumarakom, Kottayam. For a number of years, Mr. Rajappan has been incomes a dwelling by amassing plastic bottles floating on the lake and the streams linked to it.
During the speech, Mr. Modi spoke about an aged individual, “who makes us realise our responsibilities. In Kottayam of Kerala, there is an elderly ‘divyang,’ N.S. Rajappan Sahab. He cannot walk due to paralysis, but this has not affected his commitment to cleanliness,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
“Taking inspiration from Rajappan ji, we too should, wherever possible, contribute to cleanliness,” he added.
Paralysed since 5
In response, Mr. Rajappan mentioned he was so completely satisfied that the Prime Minister had acknowledged his efforts. Mr. Rajappan was bothered with polio at the age of 5 and has been paralysed since. But he would enterprise out to the waterbodies in and round Kumarakom on a small nation boat to gather plastic every single day, early within the morning.
He primarily collects plastic bottles dumped within the water. The plastic thus collected is cleaned and dried earlier than being offered to a neighborhood company at ₹12 a kilogram.
From UNEP chief
Living alone in {a partially} broken hut on a riverbank in Arpookkara panchayat, Mr. Rajappan depends on his sister’s household for meals. Mr. Rajappan shot to fame after a neighborhood YouTuber printed a small video on his life, which later went viral on social media.
On January 14 this yr, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim too had shared a short video on Mr. Rajappan on social media, together with a request that ‘we should make him famous’.
