Karnataka celebrates brave daughter Nethravathi who will be honoured by PM

Team Udayavani, Jan 23, 2018, 10:39 AM IST

Huballi: On 24^th January a brave soul from Karnataka will be among the others to receive a bravery award from the Union Government.

Nethravathi was just 14 years old when she dived into 30-feet deep stone quarry pond in a village of Vadda Hosur to rescue a drowning boy and then dive back again to rescue another drowning boy. But the second attempt was not successful and Nethravathi lost her life while trying to save the drowning boy.

This is the story of Nethravathi, a 14-year old girl from a small village of Vadda Hosur in Hungund taluk of Bagalkot district. Her father Mahantesh Chavan is a stone cutter. Nethravathi was a school dropout and helped her father in stone cutting as he could not afford to send her to school. But Nethravathi and her sister worked hard so that her two brothers could go to school.

Nethravathi was a hard working and was loved by all. The family had migrated to Udupi district to earn a living as it had no farmland or property in its native hamlet except a dilapidated house. They had returned to their village only to attend a festival when the tragedy took place at the Vaddar Hosur quarry pond. Nethravati was at the pond washing clothes when two boys related to her Muthuraj (11) and Ganesh (10) slipped and fell into the pond. Nethravati, hearing their screams for help, jumped in to help even though she didn’t know how to swim. She rescued eleven year old Muthuraj – and then plunges back in again to rescue another boy, a 10-year- old. But the second attempt cost the young teen, her life and she died trying to save the life of Ganesh.

She will be one among those to whom the country is now choosing to salute on the occasion of Republic Day. Her 39-year-old father, Mahantesh Chavan is proud to go to Delhi and receive the award on Nethravati’s behalf from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Mr. Chavan said, “We hardly earn Rs 200 a day in wages in stone cutting. So Nethravathi joined me and my other daughter in doing this work. She was very hard working and we all loved her dearly.  We were in shock at her death a few months ago. But it is a proud moment for us to receive the bravery award on her behalf,”