55-yr old tribal man helping villagers cross river on a handmade bamboo raft with tyres-tubes

Rajasthan— When an old bridge, that connected the two banks of a stream collapsed, Varda Gameti, a 55-year-old tribal farmer in Charanon ki Madaar of Khamnor block in Rajsamand emerged as a boatman who is now rowing dozens of men and women daily to and fro on his handmade bamboo raft. The old man has taken it up as a service to the needy people and accepts no money in return for the kindness. The village is located in the submergence area of a large reservoir Bagheri ka Naka that gets water from the Banas river during monsoon. Agriculture fields of most of the villagers are situated in Jakhma village which is on the other side of the stream.

When the bridge collapsed, Varda Gameti too, like others had no clue on how he would daily commute to and fro. There is a road between the two villages but it is 20-22 kilometers long which takes half and hour to reach while the water way is just a 5-7 minute distance to cover. Varda found a solution and made a bamboo raft with tyres and tubes. He pegged a rope between the two ends and holding the rope reaches from one bank to the other. Gradually, other villages sought his help for commutation and now it is a routine for him to row people to and fro many times a day.

"It has been four years now. Varda is helping people commute between the two villages tirelessly. Sometimes it would be for social gatherings or meet relatives that people seek Varda's assistance and every time they call out the old man , he does it uncomplainingly" Girish Paliwal, a social activist told The Mooknayak.

The width between the two is some 450 feet while the water depth is around 20 feet. Wading along the water on inflated tyre tubes is a risky job but Varda does it very carefully. He carries 4 to 5 people at a time and balance it so well that no untoward incident has ever taken place. Not only people, he helps carrying luggages and goods too. His prowess at rowing the raft, knowledge of the stream depth helps him to transport people safely without any safety gears. For villagers, Varda's raft is the most viable and easiest means of commutation.