Story of Simon Oran: Going hungry to bring water to Jharkhand villages

Simon Oran managed to build canals and constructed three dams by drilling through mountains in Bero region of Jharkhand.

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It is rare in life that we get to see people who are larger than life, making sacrifices for the greater good.

One such person who has come into the limelight is Padma Shri awardee Simon Oran. His story is somewhat similar to Dasrath Manjhi of Bihar.

Dasrath Manjhi is the man on whose life the film Manjhi: The Mountain Man starring Nawasuddin Siddiqui was based.

While the nation lauded Manjhi's efforts to carve a road out of a mountain and came to be known as the "mountain man", most people are unaware of Simon Oran.

Simon Oran managed to build canals and constructed three dams by drilling through mountains in Bero region of Jharkhand. His efforts earned him the name "waterman".

However, though his actions have benefitted the larger community, he himself is weighed down by poverty.

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For his contribution to environmental protection, water conservation and rain water harvesting, Simon Oran was felicitated with the Padma Shri by the then President Pranab Mukherjee.

However, his days in glory were short-lived.

The man, who dared to brave mountains, is proud of his medal and certificate but has been living a life of hardships.

Simon Oran has always stood up for social causes but the other side of his life has a different story.

Oran lives in a thatched house, the roof of which leaks during the monsoon. However, he does not have a BPL card.

He is also under debt. He had taken a loan to dig a pond.

Despite his financial troubles, Oran holds his head high with pride and does not ask for help from the government or any other agency.

He says that villagers have been making efforts since 1961 to preserve water and not let it flow away.

The entire area where he lives is dependent on agriculture which requires a huge amount of water. Oran was able to mobilise the people of many villages to contribute in the water-saving campaign.

The collective efforts eventually paid off and a canal was built by carving mountains which led to the construction of three dams to fight the water woes. Now, the situation is under control and all one sees are the lush green fields.

The people still conserve the forest by taking turns to guard it. Simon Oran's wife stays with him but she looks tired, having battled poverty all along. Her face talks about the miseries of the life they lead in financial scarcity.

Simon Oran is the parha raja which means the chief of 51 villages, according to the tribal institutional provision which is also recognised by the state government. Oran commands a great respect and easily motivates people towards his cause. Irony is such that while he is known for his efforts in social causes, Oran himself struggles on the personal front.

Also read: Headless bodies of 2 children found in Jharkhand village, mentally unstable man held

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