BENGALURU: This village of 3,500 people, located just 30km from Bengaluru international airport, until recently didn't know how to survive the severe drought that had struck the area leaving it with no source of drinking water.
Thanks to M N Lakshman Murthy, a 45-year-old farmer and gram panchayat member of Manchanbele village, the villagers have to no longer look for water. He has seen the problems the village faced due to lack of drinking water and vowed to find a solution. Down the years, his ‘mission water’ became successful.
Lakshman, fondly known as Bhagiratha, the king who overcame all obstacles and brought river Ganga to the earth from the heavens, supplies water to the village through his borewells.
His idea was to get water to the people. "He has let go of irrigation in his own farm and is supplying drinking water for all of us. He is our saviour. There has not been a single day we have spent without sufficient water for our family. God bless him and his family," said 80-year-old Muniyamma from the village who used to walk for more than 8 km to bring a pot of water to drink.
A few years ago, Lakshman dug up borewells in his two-acre land for irrigation purpose. Thanks to the water stream, all the four borewells have not dried in the past eight years. He says, "Being a gram panchayat member, I saw how people struggled for water. No politician or government has come to our help. I spoke to my family about the situation and my mother initially insisted that I start giving water to our neighbours who struggled to get some drinking water,"
This news spread in the village and several villagers came seeking water. Realising their need, Lakshman says he started letting people come and take water from the bore. However, when the numbers started increasing and there was demand from people from neighbouring villages too, he decided to use his own money and put pipeline outside his house. So from then on, at least 500 people have access to water every day. He also allows 12 to 13 tankers to fill water for three hours in a day and doesn't charge for it.
Lakshman gets the water tested at the Gram panchayat water testing lab every year. He says, "Quality of my bore water is excellent and there have been no problems. I am lucky that I have the opportunity to serve the villagers."
Interestingly, Lakshman who now supplies water through two private pipelines set up by him, has even written to the state government saying that they could make use of one of his borewells and provide pipelines to houses. However, "it's been almost a month and not a single government official had visited his house to see if this is feasible,” he said.
Shankrappa G, a resident, says that Lakshman had written to the gram panchayat to use his borewell. All that the government has to do is install a pipeline connecting the houses. And there is only a deafening silence. It’s not fair. He is our Bhagiratha.
Responding, a gram panchayat member says that they could do little due to the election code of conduct.
“We have received the letter and we will look into it and also solve the water woes soon,” the member says.
According to some villagers, politicians in the village fear that Lakshman would become very popular for his social service and might even contest elections. However, Lakshman says that he has no political ambitions and that his motto is service. What he expects from people is their blessings.