Photo of Paralyzed Man Cleaning Plastic From India River Goes Viral – And He’s Showered With Gifts to Better His Life

Carrying around a rental camera searching for stories, Nandu, an aspiring photographer from India, found nothing very interesting until one day he came to a bridge.

“I noticed a man rowing a boat and collecting something from the river,” Nandu told GNN.

The old man was one N. S. Rajappan, and he’s been plucking plastic bottles from the river for years to earn a meager living, the only way he was able to. Paralyzed since the age of five when he was struck with polio, his daily routine has kept the waterways of Vembanad Lake clear of plastic from the seat of his small one-man boat.

Without crutches, the 69-year-old would drag his legs a short way down the riverbank to the Meenachil River, after which he was free to wander the waters in search of bottles. From the bridge that day, Nandu would witness people throwing bottles into the river, while underneath a smiling Rajappan scooped them up. All of this work only earns him about 17 cents, but it’s enough for a meal—and the satisfaction in knowing he is helping the environment, well, that comes without a price.

“Somebody should remove the waste from the water… I am doing what is possible for me,” Rajappan told a local news outlet.

Image source: uplifting.network/

Nandu uploaded his story and photos to his Pro Media Facebook page, and people began retweeting it, including the UN Environment Program chief Erik Solheim, with a suggestion, “Let’s make this guy famous.”

Sooner than you could say plastic, the story went completely viral, and inspired Indians to send gifts to the elder worker.

He’s been rewarded with a new motorboat, courtesy of a local businessman, and plans are in the works to build him a little home to replace the riverside shack that had been severely damaged in a storm. Best of all, a Bangalore-based company making wheelchairs has given him a heavy-duty motorized wheelchair.

“With support coming in from thousands of people, both financially and morally, I could see his life changing,” Nandu said.

And all of it happened because of one photograph.

“It takes a photographer to be at that moment and make that picture happen for the world to know the story.”