Canal Man Laungi Bhuiyan trying to change the face of Bihar hinterland

Laungi Bhuiyan, popularly known as Canal Man, in Gaya district of Bihar has been toiling hard and working single-handedly; without any government support, to bring water for irrigation purpose in five villages, so that reverse migration of workers to megacities for eking out their livelihood could be stopped.

Gaya: Laungi Bhuiyan, popularly known as Canal Man, in Gaya district of Bihar has been toiling hard and working single-handedly; without any government support, to bring water for irrigation purpose in five villages, so that reverse migration of workers to megacities for eking out their livelihood could be stopped.

Laungi Bhuiyan who stays at a village under Banke Bazar block, 90-km away from district headquarters, has hogged the headlines again for taking up the cudgels for bringing water for irrigation to five villages. Besides, he wants to generate employment for youths of the villages and stop them going to other megacities to make money. He is also working on fish farming projects as well as digging of canals.

"Making efforts to bring water to my village and others. It was a mammoth task to dig up three-kilometre-long canal and I did it singlehandedly. Two ponds have been filled with water and it was possible due to channelizing rainwater. People have started cultivating paddy which earlier was sparse and rocky wasteland," said Bhuiyan.

"I have seen the work of Bhuiyan for the past several years. He has been working hard for the betterment and employment generation of youths of several villages in his panchayat," said Mukesh Kumar, a villager.

"We are seeing him since 2003, engaged in digging canals every day. Bhuiyan has again started working on the project. He is also trying to construct check dams to control runoff coming from the hilly regions for the fish farming purpose," said Umesh Kumar, a primary school teacher at a school.

Despite leading a life in abject poverty since childhood, Bhuiyan dedicated his whole life for uplifting the condition of poor people in Gaya district.

Gaya district is situated in South Bihar and remains water scarce for the all the year round. The district is located on a hilly region and the vast tracts of land is also not arable. Major portion of the land in the district is a rocky wasteland.

Earlier, industrialist Anand Mahindra had praised his efforts and donated a tractor. Bhuiyan, now, expects two things from the state government--one is a tractor trailer and the other is the pucca construction of the canals.