Daitari Naik
A tribal farmer from Keonjhar who spent years cutting a canal from the Gonasika hills with a hoe and crowbar, bringing water to dry farmland.
In the hills of Keonjhar district in Odisha, a stream ran down from the Gonasika mountains while the fields below it stayed dry. Daitari Naik, a tribal farmer, decided to bring the water down himself. People now call him “the Canal Man” [2].
His surname is also written Nayak in some reports [3][4].
Fields without water
Daitari’s village, Talabaitarani, lies in the Banspal block of Keonjhar [3]. Farming is how families there live, but there was no proper irrigation. When the rains failed, the crops failed with them, again and again [3][4].
He saw that the hill stream could change that, if only a channel could carry its water to the farms [2][3].
Digging through the hills
Around 2010, he began to cut a path for the water with nothing more than a hoe and a crowbar [3]. Many in the village did not believe it could be done, and at first nobody joined him [3][4]. After about four months, his four brothers started working alongside him, and other family members helped as well [2][3]. The work also meant clearing rocks and bushes so the water could flow freely [2].
According to the official citation, the job took close to four years [2]. The Better India reported that the canal was finished in 2013 [3]. When it was done, it stretched about three kilometres [2][3].
What the water changed
The canal now waters about 100 acres of land around the village [2][3]. Farmers there have been able to grow paddy, maize, mustard and vegetables, and the official citation notes that no water shortage had been reported since [2][3].
His effort caught the attention of the district administration. The Keonjhar collector praised his determination and said the administration would help make the channel a sturdier, permanent structure [3].
The Padma Shri
On 25 January 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs named Daitari Naik among the year’s Padma Shri awardees, under Social Work, from Odisha [1].
The honour did not make him forget his neighbours. Speaking after the award, he thanked the government for recognising an ordinary man, but said what would make him happiest was better irrigation for the many other villages in his district that still go without [4].
His canal is a reminder that some of the most useful work in India is done quietly, with simple tools and a great deal of patience.
Sources
- [1] Press Note: Padma Awards 2019 — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Shri citation: Shri Daitari Naik — Padma Awards portal, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [3] Odisha's Manjhi: 75-YO Man Carves 3 Km Water Canal Through Mountain — The Better India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [4] I will be happy if irrigation is provided: Padma awardee — Orissa Post. Accessed 11 October 2026.
Last updated . First draft prepared with AI assistance; reviewed and fact-checked by a person before publishing. Report a correction
