Disability cannot deter this Bhubaneswar woman to distribute water during summer

BHUBANESWAR: Pranati Swain, 41, never thinks that her disability will create any problem in helping others. She wants to give back something to the society through social service and distributes drinking water to passerby in the city during scorching heat of summer.
Though she is a polio victim, her disability does not come on the way of her life’s motto- to help others. She has opened a (drinking water distribution kiosk) on the Kargil Road joining Palaspalli and Pokhariput since 2013 and has become a messiah for the thirsty.
Pranati has opened a
Swain, a native of Singhalo in Adhanga area of Kendrapada district, came to the capital city in 1998 for vocational training after completion of graduation from Korua Women’s College in her district. She stayed here in Old Town area after getting a job in a private firm. This single woman has distributed her time between water distribution and office work.
She had opened her first water kiosk near the new office of Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and in front of Sushrusha, in the summer of 2013. Initially, St John Ambulance Odisha extended help to her. Now the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is helping her in maintaining the .
“I love social service and work with voluntary organizations in different programmes. On the occasion of world environment day, I had planted trees along Kargil Road here. I thank St John Ambulance Odisha and the BMC for helping me in distributing drinking water to thirsty people,” said Swain.
A 10th class student Bikas was helping her to distribute water, but he has stopped coming after cyclone Fani. Now she has to do the distribution work. Besides water, she sometimes distributes buttermilk to passerby. “Whatever little resource I have, I spend for this work after saving for my monthly expenditure,” she added.
She also finds it strange that people even steal earthen pots. “I hope people will understand and better sense will prevail among those who want to create trouble for me by stealing the pots,’’ she added.
A school-going student, who comes to the water kiosk run by Swain, said, “We are getting much help from Pranati didi as she is there to distribute water for the thirsty. She is doing a great job on her own,” he added.
A total of 103 have been opened by BMC, individuals and city-based NGOs across the city for the thirsty people. The BMC is using 35 water ATMs out of 39 to dispense pure drinking water among citizens. Some of these water ATMs were damaged in cyclone Fani.