I have enough for myself. I give the rest to you: Rohan Kumar

For Rohan Kumar of Rajajinagar, waiting at the bus stop is no longer tiresome. There’s a small tank nearby. The legend on it reads: “Drinking water for commuters”. He can quench his parched throat whenever he wants. As can all others.

The one who has assuaged life for many in this area is septuagenarian RV Badhraiah. But for ‘Neeru’ (water) Badhraiah as the ageing man is popularly known, providing water to commuters was not a passion — it began as a mission. It still is.

The story began on a hot and sultry afternoon sometime in the early 1980s, when he saw a woman disembarking from a bus at Bashyam Circle. With a child in tow, she frantically scouted for a source of water. Her little girl was virtually dying of thirst. There were many shops in the area, but none could come to her aid.

All this was noticed by RV Badhraiah, then pushing 40. His was a closeby small-time shop that sold plantain leaves. He too had everything but water with him. The petty trader was to soon take it upon himself.

The woman soon walked away, but left a lasting impression on Badhraiah. The man, who had started a small business as a betel leaf trader with a meagre Rs5 in his pocket some time back, knew what he would be doing for the next 40 years. His mind was made up.

In a week’s time he had been able to save Rs17. With this, he bought an earthen pot, filled it up with water that he collected from friends and neighbours, and offered the same to anyone in the area who needed to quench his/her thirst. When he started, Badhraiah would just leave the pots at Bashyam Circle for passers-by to have a sip from. The idea worked, and it didn’t as well — people would steal the pots. A frustrated Badhraiah next bought plastic buckets and tied them to poles. This didn’t work either; these would be stolen as well. Badhraiah became innovative soon; he started keeping the pots inside make-do cages. With only the tap exposed, his pots would no more be stolen.

Badhraiah maintained these pots himself. Everyday, he would clean and fill them up. As days went by, he decided to expand his idea. With a few helping hands and a rickshaw, he would go around the locality and fill up tanks. His innovations did not end. Badhraiah would nestle the pots in containers full of sand so that the water would remain cool. In the meantime, he managed to drill a borewell in his own premises.

At one point, Badhraiah operated close to 60 tanks in areas like Rajajinagar, Chamrajpet, Chickpet, Bennappa Park and Magadi Road. “Now, the water in my borewell has dried up. But my sons are keeping the practice up. They are contributing their bit to society,” he says.

RV Shivkumar, his son, adds: “The 60th Cross area at Bashyam Circle had no water. Many residents tried digging borewells but failed. They either hit a rock or did not find water altogether. However, when my father tried, we found water. My father felt that he was duty-bound to distribute water to all those who did not have access to it.”

The old borewell soon dried up, but he did not lose hope. “I opened a shop at 57th Cross, Bashyam Circle, and found water there too when we dug a borewell. We have pursued my father’s dream through this borewell,” says Shivkumar.

Badhraiah’s wife Puttarudramma had initially been averse to the idea of her husband doling out water when they themselves were living a hand-to-mouth existence. “But when I saw people queuing up outside our house, both for water as well as to thank my husband, my heart went out,” she recollects. After that, she backed Badhraiah to the hilt.

The family has built a tank that can hold up to 750 litres. “The trucks used to make two daily trips earlier. Of late, however, our tankers have come under attack from miscreants. We are, therefore, not constructing any more tanks. A few days ago, I saw many people standing under the scorching sun at Maharani’s College bus stop on Sheshadri Road. I plan to construct a 1000 litre tank there soon,” he promises.