Prime minister Narendra Modi hails disabled Rajappan for cleaning Vembanad Lake

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed paralysis-hit N S Rajappan for his tireless efforts in keeping the environment clean and tidy. N S Rajappan who lives in Kumarakom, Kerala, the world famous tourist spot, is famous for his relentless effort in keeping the Vembanad Lake clean despite having serious disabilities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his “Mann Ki Baat” programme on Sunday hailed his commitment towards cleanliness, saying all should emulate him and make contributions wherever possible, the PTI reported.

Sitting in his small country boat in the lake in Kumarakom, the elderly mans aid he was “very happy” as the prime minister himself acknowledged his efforts, the report said.

According to the PTI, due to paralysis, Rajappan is incapable of walking, but this has not affected his commitment to cleanliness,” the prime minister said. Noting that the past several years Rajappan has been rowing his boat into the Vembanad Lake and taking out the plastic bottles thrown into the water body, Modi said, “Think, how great Rajappan jis thought is! “Taking inspiration from Rajappan ji, we too should, wherever possible, make our contribution to cleanliness,” he added.

Rajappan, who crawls using his hands to move around, said he is making his living by collecting garbage bottles from the lake. “I am paralysed below my knees. I can’t walk. I ventured into the lake yesterday also to collect plastic bottles. I got four sacks full of waste bottles,” he told reporters. He said he had been doing this work for the past 17 years. “Every day, I manage to climb into the boat and venture out to collect garbage bottles”, he said. Asked about his wishes, the elderly person said his house was in a dilapidated condition. “I need a house. My house doesn’t have a proper roof,” he said, the PTI reported.

It was just days ago former United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim shared a small video on paralysis-hit N S Rajappan collecting plastic waste from Kerala’s scenic Vembanad Lake despite his disability and said he should be made famous, the report said.