Magsaysay awardee and ‘Waterman of India' Dr Rajinder Singh, who is on a tour here to study the condition of rivers Sona and Karo in the mining area of Joda and Barbil at the invitation of Ashok Thak, convenor of the Sona and Karo Nadi Banchao Andolan Committee, met Padma Shree Daitary Naik, the ‘Waterman of Keonjhar,’ on Sunday.
Having felicitated Naik with a shawl, memento and a photo of 'Mother River', Dr Singh told that mother world is proud to get son like Naik. While others are exploiting water with machines, the great son Naik is preserving the water in his two hands. He also invited Naik to Rajasthan to study the different water bodies there.
Sources revealed that while Dr Singh brought back water to 1,000 water stressed villages and joined five rivers in Rajasthan by building check dams, water conservation tank and other water conservation structures through community participation without Government help, Naik brought water to his village by digging mountains in his own hands.
Convenor of Mahanadi Banchao Andolan Sudarshan Das wanted to know from Naik about his family condition and how he is maintaining his family members. Recently , Naik was in news for returning the Padma
Shree conferred on him as he is not able to get work in his area for his family maintenance after the award was conferred on him.
Journalist Satyananda Mishra who had arranged the meeting welcomed Dr Singh on his arrival at Keonjhar. Dr Singh went to see Pichila ghat, a disputed site where Tata Steel company is alleged to be sourcing water by illegal constructions on the river.