CHENNAI: Even as thousands mourned the demise of the pious man of Puttaparthi, residents here fondly remember him for his gesture in ensuring that they got potable water.
They recall how his intervention was central to the eventual success of the scheme to bring water from River Krishna to quench parched throats in Chennai.
Those who were present at the first anniversary celebrations of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Whitefield, on January 19, 2002, would remember Sathya Sai Baba saying: “Today I have made a new resolve. Madras is suffering from acute drinking water shortage. The rich can buy water sold by tankers, but what about the poor?”
By July 2002, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust had commenced work to rennovate the dilapidated Kandaleru-Poondi canal as well as enhancing the capacity of the Kandaleru reservoir.
The canal, which was proposed by the Union government in the 1960s and completed in 1996, proved a failure, managing to channel only a paltry three per cent of the water it was supposed to get across to Poondi.
When the project had been whipped into shape, it would not only ensure adequate water supply to Chennai, but also help irrigate about 3 lakh acres of agricultural land in Nellore and Chittoor districts of AP.
Sathya Sai Baba also left his mark on 109 villages in Tamil Nadu, which had been adopted by his trust.
Volunteers of the trust had taken up a number of welfare schemes such as programmes on youth development, self employment workshops, vocational guidance and training to youth.
These programmes were aimed at reducing the dropout rate and also equip the youth with means of livelihood.
Volunteers, as part of their efforts to boost income of rural household, imparted education to women and trained them in making handicrafts and in trades such as stitching, tailoring and embroidery.
This has enabled them to earn money by making artificial flowers, ornaments and decorative articles among others.