'No less glorious than the pyramids or the Taj': Anand Mahindra on Bihar 'canal man'

• Businessman Anand Mahindra is impressed with Gaya man Laungi Bhuiyan
• Laungi Bhuiyan has single-handedly carved out a 3-km long canal to take rainwater coming down from nearby hills to fields of his village

A man from Bihar's Gaya has dug a canal to carry water from the hills to the village for irrigation purposes. Working for the past 30 years, Laungi Bhuiyan has single-handedly carved out a 3-km long canal to take rainwater coming down from nearby hills to fields of his village, Kothilawa in Lahthua area of Gaya in Bihar, news agency ANI reported.

Businessman Anand Mahindra is impressed with Gaya man Laungi Bhuiyan, who is seen as Manjhi 2.0. Dashrath Manjhi from Bihar worked for 22 years to carve out a path in the hills after his wife died falling off the mountain.

For Anand Mahindra this canal is no less glorious than the seven wonders of the world like the pyramids or the Taj. "Many glorious monuments have been built which have involved sweat & toil over decades. But those were usually the visions of absolute monarchs using the labour of their subjects. To me, this humble canal is no less glorious than the pyramids or the Taj," Anand MAhindra tweeted.

"It took me 30 years to dig this canal which takes the water to a pond in the village," said Laungi Bhuiyan who has dug out the canal single-handedly in Gaya.

"For the last 30 years, I would go to the nearby jungle to tend my cattle and dig out the canal. No one joined me in this endeavour... Villagers are going to cities to earn a livelihood but I decided to stay back," he added.

Kothilwa village is surrounded by dense forest and mountains, about 80 km away from Gaya district headquarters. This village is marked as a refuge for Maoists.