Kerala, India: A 69-year-old man, who is paralyzed below his knees, has been cleaning the largest freshwater lake of the country every single day for the last 6 years.
69-year-old N S Rajappan collects plastic waste from the Vembanadu Lake in Kerala every single day despite being paralyzed.
He uses his hands to move around.
It is reported that Rajappan hires a small country boat in the state’s Kottayam district every morning.
He would then collect plastic that is floating in the lake.
Rajappan says he usually finds plastic bottles that pollute the lake.
The elderly man suffers poliomyelitis, a disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system, and causes total paralysis.
During an interview with the press in India, Rajappan said:
I did whatever job I got. I couldn’t do regular, daily wage work as my health did not permit me. So I had to find small jobs suitable for me.
To survive in the hard times that life has forced him to be in, he sells the scrap that he collects from the lake.
Rajappan also talked about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The elderly man says that pollution has dramatically decreased because of the strict lockdown measures that the country has imposed.
He said:
I am happy… that the waters are mostly clean now.
If you want to help Rajappan and his struggles in life, you can do so by donating.
Here is his bank information:
To support Rajappan financially, you can donate directly to his account. Details here:
- N.S
- Account No: 17760100068162
- IFSC code: FDRL0001776
- Fedaral Bank Kumarakom
A video of Rajappan was shared on Twitter, where people left a lot of grateful comments.
Here are some:
Thank you Sir, you are the reason why there is still hope in humanity.