A polio-affected man cleans a lake! What’s your excuse?

According to a study by researchers at the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India’s iconic Vembanad lake - a wetland ecosystem recognised internationally by the Ramsar Convention - has been drowning in microplastics. Amidst this perpetual problem, a 69-year-old has been clearing discarded plastic bottles off the lake every single day for the last five years.

Rowing a boat to collect plastic bottles dumped in Vembanad lake, sacking them up and selling to the plastic recycling company to manage a meagre income of Rs. 12 per day - this is how a typical day in NS Rajappan’s life looks like. All of that when he doesn’t own a boat! Yes, he hires one daily.

Rajappan was affected by polio at a very young age and has been paralysed since then. He could not move his legs but managed to row a boat to make a living. Even though his source of income has been hit due to the Covid19 pandemic, he is happy to see the lake clean in years.

We love and respect this volunteering spirit towards our environment. Yet another inspiration. Regular volunteering/ shramdaan at individual level is one of the keys to combat environmental crisis. We at We Mean To Clean are doing our bit by volunteering for native tree plantation drives, cleanups and waste management awareness campaigns.

Let’s learn from people like Rajappan and do our bit to make our city a better place to live!

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