8/9/2019 The Waterman of Alwarpalli - Ambica Vinod

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THEWATERMAN

OFALWARPALLI

(Inspired by the true story of Rajendra in!h " the Water#an of India$

8/9/2019 The Waterman of Alwarpalli - Ambica Vinod

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A%&arpa%%i &as a s#a%% 'i%%a!e and peop%e in the 'i%%a!e %ead a 'ery ordinary %ife The 'i%%a!e &asse%f)suffi*ient &ith its si#p%e and happy 'i%%a!ers

The 'i%%a!e &as +no&n for *u%ti'atin! ri*e !rains o'er #any !enerations Most of the 'i%%a!ers &erefar#ers and *u%ti'ated !rains

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The re!ion around A%&arpa%%i &as +no&n for its %ush 'e!etation for #any *enturies ,ut the pastde*ade had seen a %ot of deforestation o&in! to #any industries surfa*in! up

A%&arpa%%i hen*e fa*ed se'ere drou!ht in su##ers &hi*h &as in*reasin! year after year

And &hen drou!ht stru*+- there &as on%y despair A%% the *rops &ere destroyed and peop%e had tostru!!%e &ithout &ater Their food supp%y &as a%so !ettin! affe*ted o#eti#es 'i%%a!ers &erefor*ed to ta+e refu!e in other 'i%%a!es ti%% #onsoon arri'ed

On*e #onsoon set in- 'i%%a!ers in A%&arpa%%i *a#e ba*+ to their nor#a% %i'es s%o&%y Their &orstfears &ou%d be put to rest ti%% the ne.t su##er

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The &ay the 'i%%a!e suffered durin! the drou!hts pu//%ed Raju

Raju &as a hu#b%e and edu*ated far#er He &anted to he%p the 'i%%a!e o'er*o#e this *risis yearafter year

Raju understood that &hi%e A%&arpa%%i suffered drou!ht in su##ers- it had a bountifu% share of rainsin the #onsoon ti#e He &ished that A%&arpa%%i ne'er dried up in su##er He rea%i/ed that the rain&ater sa'ed in the #onsoons *an be used durin! the dry and drou!hfu% su##ers

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Raju spent %ot of ti#e 'isitin! offi*ia%s &ho *ou%d he%p &or+ on his idea He understood thedifferent &ays of storin! rain &ater His !oa% &as to he%p the peop%e of A%&arpa%%i before the ne.tyear0s su##er

Fina%%y after a %ot of effort and deter#ination- he &as ab%e to desi!n #ethods to sa'e rain&ater Thesyste# &as *a%%ed Rain Water Har'estin! This syste# &ou%d he%p peop%e store the rain&ater anduse it at a %ater point in ti#e

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Raju +ne& he had a bi! tas+ in hand He had a !oa% to a*hie'e

He toi%ed a%% day &or+in! on the best &ays to har'est rain &ater He he%ped the 'i%%a!e set up #anysyste#s to store rain &ater before su##erti#e

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It &as su##er a!ain22

A%% of Raju0s effort to fi!ht the drou!ht &ou%d be put to test22

And yes- Raju su**eeded22 The su##er that year &as the first that A%&arpa%%i had seen in the %astten years Thou!h it &as a 'ery dry su##er- 'i%%a!ers had enou!h &ater to %ead a nor#a% %ife Itbrou!ht joy to #any 'i%%a!ers as they sa& &ater e'en in pea+ su##er

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One #an0s nob%e 'ision had sa'ed a 'i%%a!e fro# its &orst fears22

Raju0s deter#ination- !rit and hard &or+ sa'ed his *o##unity He used his edu*ation to he%p the'i%%a!ers in the best possib%e &ays

And that's what real leadership is all about, isn't it?