“True energy isn’t about bodily skill, however the will to maintain shifting ahead, regardless of the problem.”
Polio, a merciless illness, robbed Abhay Todkar of the flexibility to stroll freely. But it surely couldn’t steal his spirit. Born in Dahiwadi, Satara District, Maharashtra, this 44-year-old has defied adversity and emerged as a beacon of hope for his neighborhood.
At this time, Abhay is a residing embodiment of hope and transformation. His work not solely highlights the facility of tenacity but in addition proves that regardless of the percentages, a steadfast coronary heart and perception in oneself can flip even the best obstacles into stepping stones for change.
Rising up in rural India, the place bodily prowess is usually celebrated, Abhay confronted a double problem. Polio left him with a weakened physique, making on a regular basis duties harder. But, as a substitute of succumbing to adversity, Abhay ignited a fierce dedication inside him — a dedication that will deliver water to drought-prone villages within the arid Satara district.
“I needed to stay a standard life,” he tells The Higher India. “I by no means let polio outline me. I gave 100% in every thing I did, whether or not it was sports activities or life. My mindset was all the time optimistic, and with my household’s assist, I pushed past my limits. It’s not concerning the challenges you face, however the effort you place in.”
A enterprise, a realisation, and discovering goal
On the age of 20, Abhay began working in an STD sales space enterprise that his father had arrange for him. Though the enterprise offered Abhay with precious classes in entrepreneurship, it didn’t yield rapid monetary success. Regardless of his dedication, a way of frustration continued, as his aspirations prolonged far past the small enterprise he was managing. His need for a higher goal continued to develop, and it was solely when life took an sudden flip that he found his true calling.
Abhay had all the time dreamt of shaping younger minds, incomes a diploma in training to develop into a major faculty instructor. Nevertheless, a sudden courtroom ruling halted instructor appointments, abruptly derailing his plans. Undeterred by this setback, he pivoted his aspirations and ventured into the world of wholesale enterprise. His journey started with lengthy, arduous travels to close by villages round Dahiwadi, counting on state transport buses to navigate the winding roads.
“I’d carry baggage of products on my head and promote them to native distributors. I additionally constructed varied connections throughout the area,” he recollects. Though the monetary rewards had been modest, Abhay’s dedication saved him going. “My mother and father and spouse believed in me, even after I had little to supply,” he says. Their assist grew to become his anchor, serving to him keep targeted on his bigger aspirations.
The turning level in Abhay’s life got here when he noticed an commercial within the newspaper for an LPG company with Hindustan Petroleum. He determined to use, and to his shock, his title was chosen in a fortunate draw, giving him the chance to run his personal gasoline company.
“I used to be overjoyed after I noticed my title, however little did I do know that this success would deliver its personal set of obstacles,” Abhay says.
The stress of managing the rising enterprise started to take a toll on his well being, and he discovered himself in fixed battle with clients and even his household. “I used to be so targeted on the enterprise that I overlooked what actually mattered. I felt like I used to be solely chasing after cash,” he admits. It was throughout this tough interval that Abhay had a realisation that true success wasn’t nearly enterprise achievements, it was about residing a life with goal.
In 2012, he enrolled within the Sudarshan Kriya programme underneath ‘Artwork of Residing’. This choice marked the second main turning level in his life. “The Sudarshan Kriya programme modified every thing,” Abhay displays. “It helped me let go of stress and gave me a way of calm that I had by no means skilled earlier than.” By means of the programme, he learnt the facility of a optimistic mindset, a useful software that will not solely enhance his psychological well-being but in addition positively influence his private {and professional} life.
All of the sudden, Abhay noticed life by means of a brand new lens. His enterprise was not the centre of his world. He started to grasp that success was not measured by monetary wealth, however by how a lot good one may do for others. This mindset shift led him to have interaction extra deeply in social work. His perception that “service to mankind is service to God” grew to become the inspiration of his neighborhood initiatives. Abhay quickly started organising cleanliness drives (Swachhata Abhiyaan) in his village, Dahiwadi, and realised that he may create lasting change by means of neighborhood involvement.
Bringing water to drought-prone villages
Having grown up in a area tormented by recurring droughts, Abhay had firsthand expertise of the immense hardship confronted by his neighborhood in securing water. The fixed reliance on costly water tankers was a stark actuality, highlighting the pressing want for sustainable options. Pushed by a need to alleviate this struggling, Abhay launched into an formidable mission to handle the urgent situation of water shortage in Dahiwadi and its surrounding areas.
“We stay in a drought-affected space the place rainfall is minimal,” he says. “Water shortage has all the time been a difficulty, however I realised we needed to discover a sustainable answer.”
His imaginative and prescient for water conservation started with making a construction that will not solely retailer water but in addition cut back dependence on exterior sources. In 2015-16, he spearheaded the creation of one of many largest people-made dams on the Manganga River in Dahiwadi. The challenge marked a big milestone for the neighborhood, which got here collectively, impressed by Abhay’s imaginative and prescient.
The success of this challenge was transformative. The tanker vehicles, which had as soon as been a daily sight in Dahiwadi, not wanted to ship water. The neighborhood now had entry to a dependable water supply. “We saved crores of rupees by eliminating the price of shopping for water,” Abhay says. “The dam gave us the flexibility to outlive even when there have been years with out rainfall.”
Abhay’s success in Dahiwadi grew to become the spark that fuelled a bigger motion. Motivated by the optimistic influence his village had skilled, Abhay expanded his efforts to different villages within the area. From 2018 to 2024, he and his workforce from ‘Artwork of Residing’ reached 64 villages, specializing in water conservation initiatives, natural farming, and youth management improvement. Collaborating with organisations just like the ‘Paani Basis’, which was based by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, his imaginative and prescient continued to develop.
Abhay tried a wide range of modern strategies to preserve water throughout the villages other than constructing dams. “We organised competitions between the older and youthful generations to see who may funds water extra successfully. Alongside this, I taught individuals the significance of tree plantation. By planting extra bushes, we ensured that water was saved underground, which helped preserve a provide even throughout droughts. Bushes play a vital function in absorbing and conserving water, providing a lifeline in dry seasons through the use of moisture effectively and sustaining the land and the neighborhood. Within the final 5 years, we have now planted roughly 1,27,000 bushes,” he says.
Many villages had been initially sceptical concerning the concept of water conservation, unsure if the strategies would work in their very own communities. To earn their belief, Abhay selected to guide by instance. “I knew one of the simplest ways to persuade them was to point out them the ends in Dahiwadi,” he says. “I invited them to go to, allow them to see the influence for themselves, and allowed the work to talk.” Abhay was in a position to flip scepticism into perception, step by step inspiring others to affix his trigger.
One of the exceptional success tales got here from the village of Pingali-Kd, positioned simply 5 kilometres from Dahiwadi. Initially, the village confirmed little curiosity in Abhay’s water conservation efforts. “At first, solely 8-10 individuals had been ,” Abhay recollects. However as a substitute of giving up, Abhay invited 25 kids with disabilities to take part in rallies, specializing in Shramdaan (labour donation). These rallies quickly captured the eye of your complete village.
One of many villagers, Sujata Waghmare, admits, “When Abhay ji first launched the water conservation challenge in our village, I wasn’t actually . However when he requested me to attend the coaching, I made a decision to provide it a attempt. The coaching was so impactful that I instantly realised I needed to be a part of this trigger.”
“Abhay ji introduced a lot power and enthusiasm to the challenge that it felt prefer it was his village. His ardour motivated me to get actively concerned, attending conferences and becoming a member of the tasks. I additionally inspired others to participate so they might perceive the significance of water conservation. What amazed me most was that despite the fact that Abhay sir is bodily disabled, his drive to work is past inspiring,” she provides.
As extra villagers grew to become engaged, Pingali-Kd raised the mandatory funds to construct dams. Inside a short while, the village overcame its water shortage points, and even started supplying water to neighbouring villages.
Bapu Kambale from Pingali-Kd shares, “I’m a mechanic, and I do know Abhay ji by means of Artwork of Residing. Water conservation has all the time been near my coronary heart, as we’ve seen the devastating results of drought. There was a time once we needed to stroll as much as seven kilometres simply to fetch water. Our wells had been dry, and discovering ingesting water was a continuing battle. With such a scarcity, we couldn’t even consider farming.”
“When Abhay ji started his work on water conservation in our village, I joined him. We constructed dams, and Abhay ji took the lead in elevating funds. He stayed in our village for almost 40 days, overseeing the progress and making certain every thing was executed correctly,” he says with deep appreciation.
From a boy identified with polio to a person main a motion for water conservation throughout villages, Abhay Todkar’s journey is a supply of hope for others going through related challenges. His story proves that no limitation can maintain again the human spirit when fuelled by grit and a ardour for serving others.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All pictures courtesy Abhay Todkar
