The Indian of 27 years alone dug a pond

For decades residents of the village in the Indian district of Koriya suffered from the shortage of water, but officials closed eyes to this problem. 15-year-old Shyam Lal has undertaken to correct a situation: he has just taken a shovel and has begun to dig a pond. Villagers laughed at the teenager, but he continued to work for 27 years and at last has created a reservoir. Now fellows villager call him the savior and a role model.

"Nobody helped me: neither administration of the district, nor villagers" — 42-year-old Lal has noted.