Laungi Bhuiya, 71, also known as the Canal Man, is single-handedly digging a second canal of 5 km so that rainwater cascading down the Bangetha hills, can be diverted to the fields for farming. Mr. Bhuiya, who lives in Kothilwa village, 80 km away from the Gaya district headquarters, began the process three years ago, having carved out 3.5 km so far. He hopes to complete another 1.5 km in the next year-and-a-half, using nothing more than an axe and spade. The canal is 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
The first canal he constructed was finished in October 2020, and took him 30 years to cut through 3 km of stone. “It helped the villagers of only three village. However, this one will provide water to another five. About 10,000 to 12,000 people will benefit from it,” Mr. Bhuiya said.
Impressed by his work, Anand Mahindra, Chairperson of the Mahindra group, had gifted him a tractor after he had completed the first canal. This is now Mr. Bhuiya’s only source of income.
