"It took me 30 years to dig this canal which takes the water to a pond in the village," said Laungi Bhuiyan who has dug out the canal single-handedly in Gaya.
"For the last 30 years, I would go to the nearby jungle to tend my cattle and dig out the canal. No one joined me in this endeavour... Villagers are going to cities to earn a livelihood but I decided to stay back," he added.
Bihar: A man has carved out a 3-km-long canal to take rainwater coming down from nearby hills to fields of his village, Kothilawa in Lahthua area of Gaya. Laungi Bhuiyan says, "It took me 30 years to dig this canal which takes the water to a pond in the village." (12.09.2020) pic.twitter.com/gFKffXOd8Y
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2020
Kothilwa village is surrounded by dense forest and mountains, about 80 km away from Gaya district headquarters. This village is marked as a refuge for Maoists.
The main means of livelihood for the people here are farming and animal husbandry.
During the rainy season, the water falling from the mountains used to flow into the river which used to bother Bhuiyan following which he thought of carving out a canal.
He worked hard in order to save water coming from the mountains and utilise it.
Village headman Vishnupat Bhokta said: "In August 2001, he decided to dig a canal (Paain in local language) from a natural water source in Bagetha Sahwasi forest to the village. The villagers took their cattle generally to that source for watering, which also provided sustenance to the animals living in the forest area. Loungi knew that the water source was enough to irrigate the agricultural land of the villagers. However, it was a great challenge to bring water into the village."
"Loungi did a survey of the land and earmarked the canal route. After working relentlessly for 20 years, he managed to dig the canal that is four feet wide and three feet deep," Bhokta added.
"Just like Dashrath Manjhi, the villagers called him 'mad' when he went daily to dig the canal with traditional digging equipment," the headman said.
"Keeping in view of his herculean efforts, the district administration also came forward with aid. The administration has now named it Loungi Canal. He also dug up a small pond (Aahar in local language) to store water in the summers for irrigation and domestic consumption."
"He has been carving out the canal for the last 30 years that too single-handedly. This will benefit a large number of animals and to irrigate the fields as well. He is not doing it for his own benefit but for the entire area," said Patti Manjhi, a local.
Ram Vilas Singh, a teacher who resides here praised Bhuiyan for benefiting the villagers and their fields.
"A lot of people will benefit here. People are now getting to know him because of his work," he added.
