Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spotlighted the efforts of 76-year-old retired teacher Balakrishna Ayya from Loliem during the 134th episode of Mann Ki Baat, praising his role in helping bring water to households in the water-scarce Maddi-Tolop area of Canacona.Highlighting Ayya’s contribution, Modi said the retired teacher took the initiative to address the area’s chronic water shortage and played a key role in laying pipelines that eventually supplied water to several households.“Because of this pipeline, water reached many households. For families who struggled every day to fetch water, this became a huge relief,” Modi said.Soon after the broadcast, chief minister Pramod Sawant hailed the recognition, describing it as a proud moment for Goa.“By taking the lead in a community-driven pipeline project, Balakrishna Ayya helped bring water to several households in the Muddi-Tolop area, transforming the lives of families that had struggled with water scarcity for years,” Sawant said.He added that the story exemplified how local initiative and community participation can create lasting change. “It is a proud moment for Goa that a story of grassroots service and transformational change has been showcased before the entire nation,” Sawant said.Ayya’s efforts began more than a decade ago when he witnessed the persistent struggle for drinking water in his hamlet at Loliem, home to around 20 to 25 families and lacking natural water sources. A retired art teacher and sculptor, he decided to find a solution himself rather than wait for external intervention.Using his personal savings, Ayya single-handedly excavated a step-well, receiving only occasional assistance from local residents. After digging to a depth of nearly 40 metres and striking water, he installed a pump and began laying pipelines to neighbouring homes.What started as an effort to secure water for his own family gradually expanded into a community lifeline, with the network eventually supplying water to around 20 to 25 households in the area.
